With Toni Storm off the AEW roster the rest of the year, AEW has a bench of women to step up – Top Ten Options

With news still coming in regarding the status of Toni Storm, the only certainty we have at the moment is that one of the most popular performers in AEW history will be out of action for quite a while, possibly until some time in 2027. To be clear, Storm’s unique style will be impossible to supplant. No one is expected to stand in as a one-for-one replacement and become the next “Timeless” Toni. That person simply doesn’t exist. What does, however, is the void left at the top of the women’s division.

Thekla is the emerging new force. She’s quickly become one of the biggest heels in the company, and up until now, conventional wisdom was that she and Storm were on a collision course for the AEW Championship in London at All In this August. With Storm now out of the picture, someone will need to rise to the occasion. Few are even close to assuming such a role in believable fashion. But with five months to go, there’s plenty of time to take a credible challenger and create an incredible matchup.

It’s fair to say the women who have previously seen the top of the card and who have already gone to war with Thekla will not be filling that sort of role. For the sake of this exercise, that takes both Kris Statlander and Thunder Rosa out of the picture.

There are several performers either on the roster or rumored to be joining soon who would be a lot of fun to see thrust into such a grand position, but who realistically will not be. We’ll consider them the Wildcards. Those names include:

Charlie (f/k/a Dakota Kai)

Her performance against Statlander at Wrestle Queendom 8 earlier this month showed that injuries truly hampered her ability while with WWE. Although a protective knee brace was partially concealed during the match, she moved with crisp precision and was clearly up for the challenge of living up to her billing on the show’s poster. She’s interested in AEW, and the feeling is reportedly mutual. There are plenty of diehards who have rode with Charlie from before and since her NXT days who will tell you she belongs in the main event scene. Even with most of the spring and summer to get her there, though, it’s difficult to see someone rising so quickly through the ranks.

Session Moth Martina

A title match between Thekla and this hometown hero at All In London would make for an electric atmosphere at Wembley. Just watch the main event of Wrestle Queendom 8 and argue otherwise. That said, Martina is not currently signed with the company and is largely unknown to AEW’s core audience. You could hot shot an angle similar to the Lex Express and see what catches, but let’s face it. This one isn’t happening.

Red Velvet

She’s been on the map since her major break in 2021, teaming with Cody Rhodes to take on Shaquille O’Neal and Jade Cargill. And while that match sounds like a fever dream now, it received a ton of mainstream coverage at the time. Velvet has held the ROH TV Title since July 2024 and is regularly showcased in quality matches on the HonorClub platform. She seamlessly blends her professional dancing background with her ever-improving ring prowess in a way that never fails to get the crowd behind her. She made a quick believer out of Cody, and were he still with the company, her opportunity to move to the top of the card might come a little easier, but for now it seems as she enters her mid-30s, she’ll be used more to bring along the next crop of stars rather than be positioned as one herself.

Queen Aminata

After years of paying dues, Aminata’s career was on the rise when a neck injury forced her out of action last November. Her feud with the newly arriving Thekla raised the stock of both wrestlers as she was seemingly one star-making performance away from the main event scene. She provided an update in January, saying she felt better but was awaiting an MRI. Until she’s cleared or makes a surprise return, it’s difficult to slot her as being anywhere near a major main event.

Skye Blue

The same Blood and Guts show that Aminata was forced to sit out was the one that considerably raised the profile of Skye Blue. She’s been in the shadow of Thekla as a member of the Triangle of Madness ever since, and while both a breakup and a run as a top-level babyface seem inevitable, there remains far too much money on the table given her current position. All In 2027? Perhaps, but not likely this year.

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With the Wildcards behind us, here now are two women I believe could easily carry their end of a legitimate main even match at All In London, but both of whom face issues given their current positioning:

5. Mercedes Mone

How do you even speculate on who can step up to face the World Champion on the big stage and not consider Mone? The only thing holding this one back is the idea of a heel vs. heel matchup. Unless one of them turns between now and then, and that’s not entirely out of the question for Thekla, it seems Mone would be better used in a different major program.

4. Persephone

A year from now, Thekla vs. Persephone will be a dream match for the ages. It could get fast-tracked and absolutely live up to the billing, but it comes down to a similar issue as with Mone. Persephone is so good as a heel. She’s so natural that you don’t even really think about it until she’s forced to play a babyface. Still, give the CMLL Champion a little more time to let the AEW audience familiarize themselves, and she is right there.

There is no wrong answer between any of these top three options:

3. Mina Shirakawa

She’s been pushed towards the top and pulled back several times since first debuting in AEW two years ago. She has the tools to carry her end of a major program and, more importantly, has an organic connection with fans. Assuming she is the one behind Toni Storm’s attack (and I hope she’s not), what better a way to make it all hurt more than to watch her rise to the main event to defeat Thekla in front of tens of thousands of adoring fans before Toni eventually returns and it all comes crashing down?

2. Willow Nightingale

You don’t need to be more than a casual AEW viewer to know this position is Willow Nightingale’s for the taking. She’s arguably more over than anyone else on the roster, and has gotten and stayed there with a resilience possessed by few others. Her stock is currently sky high following two title defenses at Revolution. She had a brief program with Thekla last summer that is largely forgotten now thanks to the progress both have made since then but they were already terrific together once. If there’s any reason not to go, well, all in with Willow now, it’s because she’s perfectly capable of carrying a program separate from Thekla that could battle for top billing on its own.

1. Harley Cameron

During an interview with Sports Illustrated this week, MJF sang the praises of Harley Cameron as highly as could be. Lauding her improved ring work along with what he called an “It Factor” on par with his own, the AEW Men’s Champion said he would be shocked if Cameron were not Champion one day.

But if you’re not for going off of highly qualified opinions, just spend a little time watching the former tag team champion. If you saw her performance at Wrestle Queendom 8 earlier this month, you know the version of Harley we see in AEW is rather subdued. She can entertain in multiple ways with the kind of wit that only comes with a high level of intelligence. Tie that all together with her ability to have excellent matches and you have a true main event player.

Thanks so much for reading and, of course, for supporting women’s wrestling. Feel free to leave a comment or drop a line via email at jeffp.rush@gmail.com or on Twitter/X @nottherightjeff.