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Rousey Appears at AEW Revolution; Thekla Retains; Dominion Win Tag Titles
Amidst an exhausting five-hour hour PPV that will largely be remembered for a brutal and gory main event, the women of AEW shined in three distinctly different, well-booked and executed matches that showcased the highest level of the current divisions talent.
“Timeless” Toni Storm defeated Marina Shafir in a ten-minute contest based more around Shafir’s MMA background than traditional wrestling. Storm proved capable of hanging with the format, but brought it back to her level with a small package roll-up for the victory.
The major story coming out of this one was the appearance by former WWE Champion and WrestleMania main-eventer, Ronda Rousey who stood mid-ring as Storm celebrated on the ramp. Rousey’s presence was met with heavy boos by the live crowd as a game Storm returned to the ring for a face-off. While distracted, she was attacked by Shafir, meaning the issues between the two are likely not yet over. It’s uncertain whether that program will see involvement by Rousey or if her appearance was simply to promote her upcoming MMA fight.
World Champion, Thekla, defeated Kris Statlander in a 2-out-of-3 falls match running 18 minutes, that saw both women secure victories with their trademark finishers. In the end, Skye Blue and Julia Hart took advantage of an incapacitated referee, but were thwarted in their attempt to attack the challenger. Instead, it would be their run-in along with Thekla’s removal of the referee’s belt that served to distract Statlander just enough for the champion to hit a spear and two stomps to pick up the victory.
Divine Dominion, the now official moniker of Megan Bayne and Lena Kross, were crowned new Tag Team Champions, defeating the Babes of Wrath after taking advantage of a shoulder injury suffered by Willow Nightengale in her Zero Hour pre-show victory over Kross earlier in the night.
The imposing duo performed multiple synchronized maneuvers, and looked well-polished, in spite of their short time as a tandem. Where this victory leaves the injured Penelope Ford after her return and what lies next for the new champions remains to be seen, but the change brings with it a breath of fresh air to the tag team division and an eventual showdown with the Brawling Birds not far out of reach.
Opportunities set the tone on Honor Club, Impact, and Smackdown
Where the flagship shows at the beginning of this week helped set the table for things to come, the second half was filled with opportunities for newer and overlooked performers.
The primary storyline in Ring of Honor advanced this week as prodigy, Maya World, went the distance in a Proving Ground match against Champion, Athena. In fact, not only did World last the entire ten minutes, she was on the verge of scoring a pinball victory over Athena as time expired. It made for an odd visual as World was somewhat shocked and disappointed as she was being declared the winner.
Per the rules of the match, she will now receive a title shot against Athena at an undetermined later date. The “win” also ended Athena’s 33-match winning streak against competitors in Proving Ground matches, a key to her lengthy title run.
That same night, the sole women’s match on TNA Impact saw Indi Hartwell gain a short squash victory over independent veteran Kelsey Heather. The former Shine Nova Champion was making her first appearance on Impact since May of last year when she… lost a short squash match to Indi Hartwell.
Heather’s most famous moment came on July 12, 2021, when she became the modern-day version of Rick Rude, appearing on both WWE and AEW programming on the same night. On a prerecorded Thunderdome-era episode of Raw, Heather accompanied Bobby Lashley to the ring as one of the short-lived Lashley’s Ladies. That same evening, AEW dropped an episode of Dark that saw Heather battle Leyla Hirsch.
At a time when it’s commonplace to find future Hall of Famers on our screens, Impact offered a moment to appreciate a different kind of history.
On WWE Smackdown this Friday, Michin made her first in-ring appearance on the show since September 2025, going eight minutes with WWE Champion, Jade Cargill. At the apex of the match, she displayed a thrilling series of offensive moves that actually managed to rattle Cargill and make her seem like a legitimate threat.
More intriguing was Michin’s interaction with Rhea Ripley backstage after the match. She was upset by Ripley’s encouragement and flashed signs of a potential heel turn. Having both Michin and B-Fab interact with major players, aside from Cargill, can go a ways in establishing them both as a viable presence on TV.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Stray observations
AEW Revolution
-Kross is such an intimidating presence. Her deliberate, physical pace only looks that much better against someone who can move the way Willow does.
-Willow did such a convincing job selling the shoulder, that I felt a pang of relief once she seemed to forget about it for a while.
-It’s a testament to Kross’s conditioning that she can stand directly in front of you and bust a kick to the head out of nowhere.
-Smart on Harley’s part to bring a pipe, knowing her presence alone wouldn’t do much to get Bayne and Kross out of there.
-Toni Storm is so versatile. She’s tremendous with comedy and high drama, but also fits perfectly alongside a fighter like Shafir.
-Those running hip attacks always look so good. The human head just shouldn’t bounce that way.
-Perfect finish. Shafir can claim fluke but the small package was textbook Toni.
-Better strut: Oba Femi or Toni Storm?
-I don’t know if the crowd was booing Ronda Rousey the person or her close association over the years with WWE. It was likely just a spot to promote her upcoming fight, but I’d be all for Storm-Rousey.
-Willow absolutely telegraphed that upcoming title change. If I’m Harley, I’m like “I’m not asking you to do this for me. You’re clearly messed up. I’ll have no problem finding a replacement for you, just be in our corner.” But nooooo…
-Divine Dominion! They have their own name! Poor Penelope.
-As a fan of entrances, Bayne and Kross already have one of the best.
-How many years have they been teaming together now? Double everything looks so good – from fall aways to choke slams.
-Just retire the tag titles now. This division is dead in the wake of the rise of Divine Dominion.
-Thekla is a freaking machine. She doesn’t tire, need rest, or physically compensate in any way. She just goes.
-She grabbed at her shoulder briefly while twisting over the ropes out to the apron. She hasn’t sold it since. I hope that was nothing.
-The ref didn’t see Stat grab the rope during that first fall, but, well, neither did I.
-Stat swinging Thekla back and forth between the barriers was an incredible visual.
-The tombstone made for a solid second fall, but it’s hard to imagine that not being a kick out in a standard match.
-If the Sisters of Sin only got their asses kicked, does it really count as interference?
-I’m not a “fight forever” type of fan, but I wouldn’t mind if they took a little break and then did this all over again.
-There’s some suspension of disbelief on so many pinfalls happening in such short order, but beyond that, I loved this.
TNA
-I still don’t love the excessive sports-entertainy vibe of the Elegance Brand these past few weeks, but at least we now have some clear direction on the angle. Look for a continued procession of stars from the past to take issue with Ash and company. Where and when will this culminate?
-Indi is finding her groove in the ring and appears headed for the main event scene. Her body language, though, says she’s still uncomfortable in front of a crowd when she isn’t wrestling. The main tell is the constant pointing to the audience. It’s so over the top it feels more heelish than anything.
-Awesome looking split-leg bulldog by Kelsey Heather. She had a loaded independent schedule in 2025 but has been out of action since last November. Its good to see ring rust is not an issue.
-The resurrection of Rosemary’s Undead Realm has TNA fans excited. It was a beautifully unusual pro wrestling story at a time before the term “cinematic” was common to the parlance. Now that Allie has returned, quite literally from the dead, it looks like a much wider audience will gain exposure to the saga. Fingers crossed Su Yung isn’t far behind.
-A new Rosemary storyline brought to AMC has the ability to be the biggest, most talked-about thing TNA does this year.
ROH
-I’m struggling to buy into Maya World. She was a standout in Athena’s MPX promotion in Texas, and clearly, the boss there was high enough on her to push for this type of positioning, but she still feels quite green. World was completely gassed for more than half of this match and wore the same surprised expression on her face throughout. She was able to display some cool looking spin kicks, and Athena really sold her butt off for her, but she will need to find another gear for this current push to make sense.
-Red Velvet is becoming a consistent highlight of HonorClub. Her match with Hyan didn’t get quite the same billing as the Proving Ground match that opened the show, but it was a terrific five minutes.
-I hope it turns out Stori Denali can actually wrestle, because she definitely has the airport factor.
WWE Smackdown
-Jade Cargill carries all the same smug self-satisfaction that made fans turn away from Charlotte in droves last year. The problem for her is that she doesn’t have any of Flair’s accomplishments, and isn’t anywhere near her level in the ring or on the mic, which means the rope is that much shorter. It’s getting tougher to see her not only carrying the title past WrestleMania, but even carving out any kind of regular role on TV without it.
-The Rhea-Jade program is in dire need of inspiration. I hope they can tap into something over the next couple weeks.
-I’m not as averse to having the Bellas on my wrestling show as some, but with each appearance, it just feels less and less like there’s a place for them on this roster. I understand why they’re here and even why they’re likely to be inserted into a tag title match at Mania, but they honestly were in over their heads with this level of talent ten years ago, let alone in 2026.
AEW Collision
-I like Harley being intimidated by the prospect of facing MegaKross. I also like Willow’s fearlessness and her turning Harley’s head around. A lot of ground was covered there.
-I love the chemistry of the Triangle. Thekla is clearly running the show, but Skye Blue in particular is so good at getting that across without appearing subservient. The alliance also seems to draw a more sinister side out of Julia than we see when it’s just her and Blue.
-Easy payday for Tatevic and Viva Van tonight, never even entering the match.
-I see the story they wanted to tell with Statlander and the strap, but a lot was sacrificed to get there in such short order. Had Thekla attacked her unprovoked or perhaps if we’d gotten to that beat down via stipulation, it would’ve been more effective. But done in this manner, Statlander just looked foolish for putting herself in that situation altogether.
-To this point, Marina Shafir hadn’t brought a lot of backstory to her feud with Toni Storm. While that’s typically something I much prefer, I was kind of enjoying the bullying element of their story (“Make me laugh, clown,”) better without knowing Storm was once Marina’s mentor.
-I followed Storm’s analogy, but who exactly is left lying in dust at the end of a circus?
-I do love the creative way that promo was shot and Toni’s languid delivery was a nice touch.
-Nigel McGuinness is a distraction calling women’s matches. When he dials in, he’s as solid as he is for the mens. Unfortunately, his women’s work is often riddled with lecherous quips that diminish the effort of the performers. “Buxom” and “Statuesque” were two terms no one asked for but were offered tonight, in addition to a labored remark about Shirakawa being capable of wrecking marriages (what?). And even when it isn’t sexual, it’s still problematic. Tonight, he compared the women’s World Champion and one of the most intimidating wrestlers in the world, Thekla, to the Itsy Bitsy Spider nursery rhyme, a reference that was both uninspired and belittling.
AEW rotates their broadcast team often. Why not bring in another voice for these matches who can be respectful simply by calling the action sans the drool and derision? This would actually help the wrestlers get over while leaving the more embarrassing elements of the Attitude Era in the past where they belong.
-The company has invested quite a bit in Mina Shirakawa. Lena Kross getting such a short, definitive victory says a lot about how they view the newest addition to the roster.
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.
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