AEW RISING AND FADING STARS: Kyle Fletcher finally wins the TNT Title, Ricochet losing his momentum, plus Willow Nightingale, AEW Women’s Division overall

What a, let’s say, weird week of AEW television. It was a rare week where overall Collision may have been the better show than Dynamite. Despite the fact that Dynamite had an AEW World Title match.

We finally got to see more Darby this week as he leaped on top of a bunch of security, distracting Jon Moxley during his title match with Hangman Adam Page, on Dynamite. Then on Collision we had Darby attempting to murder Mox. I guess when it’s against the Death Riders it’s ok, question mark?

Like I said it was a weird week of AEW television.

We are just days from a new Dynamite now, so let’s see who I felt shined and did not shine last week. Let’s get to my list

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Rising Star of the Week

Kyle Fletcher

Better late than never, right? Kyle Fletcher is your new AEW TNT Champion!

It felt like this week of AEW was used to fully close the book on All In Texas and start to turn the page towards Forbidden Door. One of the big things they needed to do, in my opinion, was getting the TNT Title on the correct wrestler.

Kyle Fletcher is the correct wrestler. Fletcher should be able to get the TNT title back to what it was in the past and should be. A title that is defended on television, a lot, and should now be for younger guys on the rise. Dustin Rhodes holding the title was a nice story and “moment” in Texas, even if it didn’t land with me at all. Going forward thought it should be about guys like Fletcher.

Since losing via DQ to Adam Cole back in May he has 5 wins and 0 losses in singles matches. In fact the only men to pin him in singles matches this year are Hangman Adam Page and Will Ospreay. Not a bad list of names to have lost to. So Fletcher has 9 wins and 3 losses in singles matches this year.

Now it’s time for Fletcher to go on a tear defending the TNT title. Set him up to defend it every other week and anchor Collision. Then you have your main event for every other Collision and AEW can start to build its next star. Fletcher’s ceiling could be, and should be, in the main event for years to come.

1st Runner Up: The AEW Women’s Division 

Yup, the entire division. I’ve toyed with doing this in prior weeks but this week feels like the week for it.

Outside of Willow Nightengale, more on that later, every story they are telling in the Wonens Division is working for me.

First the Toni Storm and Athena feud should be highlighted. We now know when Toni and Athena will have their title match, at Forbidden Door. Athena felt more like the Athena who has been on ROH island. If you have not watched a lot of it then let me explain. Athena has been a bully type heel, not a chickenshit heel that she has portrayed at times on AEW television. So Athena calling her shot feels more true to he character. Also her pinning Toni on Dynamite popped me.

The Triangle of Madness should also be talked about. Thekla’s early push was derailed by an injury to Jamie Hayter but it feels like they are getting her back on track. Thekla is a very unique wrestler in the ring and her personally matches it. Kind of this weird mix of Bray Wyatt and Darby Allin but I’m here for it. Thekla immediately makes Julia Hart and Skye Blue feel more credible.

Kris Statlander and Willow just need to have one final blow off and then separate for the next few years. They have been connected for so long that now I just don’t care about their drama. Statlander being courted by the Death Riders is way more interesting. I am ready for them to continue that, hopefully this week.

So I have mentioned 7 women on the AEW roster and I haven’t even brought up the most recognizable face in the division, Mercedes Mone. She returns this week and I am ready to see where she goes now.

You add in Billie Starkz, Megan Bayne, Penelope Ford, Alex Windsor, Marina Shafir, Anna Jay, and Queen Aminata this is one of the most stacked AEW Women’s roster in the entire history of AEW. As long as Tony Khan continues to put these ladies on television I think the women’s division is in good hands with the women they have on the roster.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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Fading Star of the Week

Willow Nightingale

First, let me say that I really want to love Willow. She has this infectious energy that people love. I also think she can go in the ring, but how she has been on the mic lately has just made me not care about her.

What a difference a year makes. Willow was, by far, one of the best and most over women in all of AEW in 2024. That’s not to say 2025 hasn’t had its highlights but her record does not show that she is a young talent on the rise.

2024 Willow was winning 77 percent of her overall matches. She amassed 34 wins total last year. Then the calendar flipped and Willow has won just 50 ;ercent of her matches. Willow has just 9 total wins this year and only 3 of them are singles wins.

Willow isn’t just about the force she is in the ring. No, Willow has a connection with the crowd. That connection is what can salvage this. One way to use that connection would be to flip her against the crowd. The other would be to put her against people the crowd really dislikes. Maybe the loss to Thekla is the start of that one of those. We will see.

1st Runner Up: Ricochet

What the hell happened? Ricochet has been on a roll recently. That said, none of it was brought up by commentary so only you and I know. Let me explain.

Ricochet lost to Mark Briscoe in the main event of Dynamite. I get why he lost with the story they are telling, but they didn’t make a big enough deal of it. This was Ricochet’s first loss in a singles match since losing to Briscoe back in April on Dynamite #290 and only his second loss in a singles match this year.

Maybe if Ricochet’s win-loss record was a part of the story then Briscoe’s win would have meant more. Then going forward this, basically, no. 1 contenders match happening this week between Briscoe and MJF would mean more.

This is an overall issue within AEW. Small things like this would make the stories mean more. Looking at Ricochet’s record of 10 wins and 3 losses, I don’t see why he shouldn’t be near the top of “Hangman” Adam Page’s contenders. It’s much better than the guy Hangman laid out as one of his contenders, Briscoe, who has 5 wins and 8 losses in singles matches this year. Read that again. Yea the guy Hangman told MJF is near the top of his list has 3 more losses than wins this year. MJF had every right to be pissed when Hangman threw out Briscoe’s name.

I went off on a tangent there, but it was to get this point across. Everyone has access to wrestling “stats” these days, so if AEW would use them for storytelling purposes, it would help the overall product. Hangman needs “challengers of the week” to solidify his title reign. Ricochet would have been better used getting a shot at Hangman and losing than having Briscoe beat him. Briscoe could have “gotten his win back” against so many other people. I just feel like this was a waste of how they have been building Ricochet.