Tag: aew women’s title eliminator tournament

AEW Women’s eliminator tournament finals set for Dynamite

Posted on by Josh Nason

After nearly three weeks and shows on three different platforms, the AEW Women’s eliminator tournament will come to an end this Wednesday as Nyla Rose will face Ryo Mizunami on Dynamite.

On Monday’s U.S. finals on YouTube, Rose advanced with a win over Thunder Rosa, picking up the victory after countering a top rope dive with a Beast Bomb. In the Japan finals that aired last Sunday on Bleacher Report, Mizunami defeated Yuka Sakazaki after a Samoan legdrop driver.

Wednesday’s winner will advance to this Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view against Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida.

Rose, the former Women’s Champion, defeated Tay Conti and Britt Baker before getting to Rosa while Mizunami beat Mei Seruga and Emi Sakura before getting to Sakazaki. 

Rose and Mizunami have shared a ring once before in 2018 as part of opposite teams in a six-woman tag team match for WAVE in Tokyo, Japan. If Rose wins, she will be looking to pick up her first AEW win against Shida in two outings, the first of which cost Rose her title back at last May’s Double or Nothing. 

Shida and Mizunami have wrestled dozens of times in Japan dating back to 2010, the last time as part of a 2019 tag team match. They met once in AEW back at 2019’s Double or Nothing as Shida, Mizunami and Riho defeated Aja Kong and the aforementioned Sakura and Sakazaki in a six-woman tag match. That was also Mizunami’s last appearance in the U.S.

Japan Women’s tourney final, six-woman tag set for AEW Sunday

Posted on by Josh Nason

Following Monday’s tournament matches, the finals for the Japan side of the bracket in the AEW Women’s title eliminator tournament are now set.

Ryo Mizunami will face Yuka Sakazaki this Sunday on a special that will air on Bleacher Report as AEW attempts to condition fans to watching their product on a Sunday before their March 7th Revolution pay-per-view.

Mizunami advanced with a countout win over Aja Kong while Sakazaki defeated Emi Sakura in the Japan semifinals, both of which aired Monday.

In a new match announced on Monday’s show, AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida, Mei Suruga and Rin Kadokura will face Sakura, Veny and Maki Itoh in a clash featuring several competitors from the tournament. Shida got involved Monday as Sakura and her charges attacked Sakazaki after her victory which brought out the champion to make the save. 

The Sunday show will also feature the last U.S. semifinal match as former AEW Women’s Champion Riho will face former NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa. Riho advanced by defeating current NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb last Wednesday while Rosa advanced by defeating Leyla Hirsch.

The winner of Riho vs. Rosa will face the winner of Wednesday’s Nyla Rose vs. Britt Baker semifinal in the U.S. finals. Rose defeated Tay Conti and Baker defeated injury substitute Madi Wrenkowski on Monday’s show to advance.

Anna Jay suffers shoulder injury, out 6-12 months

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Anna Jay is estimated to be out 6-12 months due to an injured shoulder that requires surgery.

AEW posted a video of Dr. Michael Sampson evaluating Jay. In their social media post, AEW explained that Jay was injured during training and is expected to be out 6-12 months following surgery. 

“I’m super upset about this…. all I can do now is put in the work to come back stronger,” Jay wrote on Twitter. “Thanks for all the love and support everyone. It means a lot to me!”

Jay was scheduled to compete in the AEW Women’s title eliminator tournament, facing Dr. Britt Baker in the opening round. Madi Wrenkowski, who AEW touted as a protege of Thunder Rosa, will replace her. The rest of the opening round of the American bracket will air tonight on YouTube.

Jay last wrestled on the AEW Dark that aired on January 6, where she defeated Alex Gracia.

The winner of the Japanese bracket will face the winner of the American bracket on the March 3 edition of Dynamite. The winner of that match will advance to AEW Revolution on March 7, where they will face Hikaru Shida for the AEW World Women’s title.

More details on AEW Women’s title eliminator tournament special

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

AEW pushed for the 2/28 special on Bleacher Report that Tony Khan announced earlier today as a way to help push that the 3/7 show will be the company’s first Sunday PPV show.

Khan announced Riho vs. Thunder Rosa, which could be the best match of the women’s tournament, would be on the platform. Bleacher Report is available worldwide unlike BR Live, which is available only in the U.S.

There will be either two or three matches on the special show. Besides the announced Riho vs. Rosa match, the final of the Japanese bracket of the tournament from Saitama will also be part of the special.  

Khan said that he was pushing for a Sunday show on the platform to get fans ready because AEW has never previously run on Sunday.

The winner of the Japanese bracket match will appear live on the 3/3 Dynamite show against the winner of the American bracket, which would be the Rosa vs. Riho winner against whoever advances from the other half of the American bracket, with Anna Jay,  Britt Baker, Tay Conti and Nyla Rose. The American bracket final will air on March 1 on YouTube.

The winner on 3/3 faces Hikaru Shida for the title on the 3/7 Revolution PPV show.

Four AEW Women’s title eliminator tournament matches set for Monday

Posted on by Josh Nason

As expected, the AEW Women’s title eliminator tournament will roll on this Monday on YouTube and will include two matches from the U.S. side of the bracket.

Nyla Rose (with Vickie Guerrero) will face Tay Conti while Britt Baker will take on Anna Jay in the U.S. bracket. The winners will then face off in a semifinal match.

On the Japan side, Aja Kong will square off with Ryo Mizunami while Yuka Sakazaki vs. Emi Sakura will go to battle, all from the Ice Ribbon Dojo in Saitama. The winners will advance to the Japan bracket finals.

This past Monday, Kong defeated Rin Kadokura, Mizunami defeated Maki Itoh, Sakazaki defeated Mei Seruga and Sakura defeated Veny in the opening round.

In her return to the company Wednesday, former AEW Women’s Champion Riho advanced to the semifinals with a win over NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb and will face Thunder Rosa at a date to be determined.

The winner of the tournament will face current Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida at Revolution on Sunday, March 7th.

Four advance to next round of AEW Women’s title eliminator tournament

Posted on by Josh Nason

The field of sixteen competitors is now down to eleven following Monday’s action from the Japanese side of the AEW Women’s title eliminator tournament.

Emi Sakura, Yuka Sakazaki, Aja Kong and Ryo Mizunami all advanced with victories, joining Thunder Rosa in the second round of the tournament designed to find the next challenger to AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida.

Sakura defeated Veny and will face Sakazaki after Sakazaki defeated Mei Suruga. Further down the bracket, Kong defeated Rin Kadokura and will face Mizunami who beat Maki Itoh. All of the Japanese matches were taped at the Ice Ribbon Dojo in Saitama.

Last Wednesday, Rosa kicked off the tournament with a win over Leyla Hirsch on the U.S. side of the bracket. On this Wednesday’s Dynamite, the first-ever AEW Women’s Champion Riho will return to AEW for the first time since last March when she faces NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb. The winner will face Rosa in the next round.

Dates have yet to be announced for the two remaining first round matches: Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose and Britt Baker vs. Anna Jay.

Japan side of AEW Women’s title eliminator tourney starting Monday

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW is wasting no time getting into their Women’s title contender eliminator tournament, announcing on Dynamite that all four first round matches from the Japan side of the bracket will air this Monday on YouTube.

The 7 PM Eastern broadcast will feature Yuka Sakazaki vs. Mei Suruga and Veny vs. Emi Sakura in the upper half of the bracket with Maki Itoh vs. Ryo Mizunami and Aja Kong vs. Rin Kadokura in the bottom part of the bracket. Sakazaki, Sakura, Kong and Mizunami have all competed in an AEW ring before.

It’s unknown if the following consecutive Mondays will feature the second round and semifinals, but that scheduling would make sense if the yet-to-be announced finals are taking place at the March 7th Revolution pay-per-view.

All of the Japanese matches are being taped on a closed set at the Ice Ribbon dojo in Saitama, Japan. AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida has been there in attendance following a mandatory quarantine.

The U.S. side of the bracket kicked off Wednesday with Thunder Rosa advancing to the second round with a victory over Leyla Hirsch. Former AEW Women’s Champion Riho will return to action for the first time in nearly a year next Wednesday when she faces NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb. Dates haven’t been announced for Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose and Britt Baker vs. Anna Jay.

The winner of the tournament will get a title shot at Shida at some point in the future.

AEW reveals bracket for Women’s title eliminator tournament

Posted on by Josh Nason

In a preview video released Wednesday, AEW revealed the full bracket for the Women’s title eliminator tournament with the winner earning a future title shot at AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida.

U.S. bracket:

The tourney kicks off on tonight’s Dynamite with former NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa vs. Leyla Hirsch. The winner of that match will face the winner of current NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb vs. former AEW Women’s Champion Riho.

Further down the bracket, Tay Conti will face former AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose with the winner taking on the winner of Dr. Britt Baker vs. Anna Jay.

Other than the Rosa vs. Hirsch match, dates for the other matches have yet to be announced.

Japan bracket:

Yuka Sakazaki will face Mei Suruga with the winner taking on the winner of Veny vs. Emi Sakura. Both Sakazaki and Sakura have wrestled in AEW before.

Further down the bracket, Maki Itoh will take on Ryo Mizunami with the winner facing the winner of Aja Kong vs. Rin Kadokura. Both Kong and Mizunami have competed in AEW previously.

The entire side of the Japan bracket will be held at a closed set at the Ice Ribbon dojo in Saitama, Japan, according to Dave Meltzer. He also said Shida has been in Japan to help in the process. No dates or how to see the matches has been announced, but Meltzer said Tony Khan has “something cool” planned for how that happens.

Full AEW Women’s title eliminator tournament field announced

Posted on by Josh Nason

Starting this month, sixteen women in two countries will vye for the opportunity to challenge AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida.

The entire field for the eliminator tournament was announced during Wednesday’s Beach Break with the added news that the tournament will be conducted in both the United States and Japan. 

The U.S. side of the bracket will feature NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb, former AEW Women’s Champion Riho, former AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose, Britt Baker, Tay Conti, former NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa, Anna Jay and Leyla Hirsch.

The Japan side of the bracket will include Emi Sakura, Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki, Veny, Ryo Mizunami, Mei Suruga, Rin Kadukura and Maki Itoh. Several of the competitors have worked in AEW before as Shida teamed with Rio and Mizunami against Kong, Sakura, and Sakazaki at 2019’s Double or Nothing.

The matchups, start date and date for the finals have yet to be announced.

Riho returning to AEW in Women’s title eliminator tournament

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Riho vs. Serena Deeb has been announced for the upcoming AEW Women’s title eliminator tournament.

AEW announced tonight during Dynamite that Rhio would be making her return to AEW to square off against the NWA Women’s Champion during the opening round of the tournament. It would be the first time Riho has competed in AEW since last March. 

The company announced the upcoming tournament last week. No start date has been set, though the graphic AEW aired tonight saidthat the tournament would be coming soon. The winner will be next in line for the AEW Women’s title.

In Riho’s last AEW match on March 18, she lost a fatal four way match that involved winner Hikaru Shida, Kris Statlander, and Penelope Ford. She has been mostly working for Stardom during the COVID-19 pandemic, but finished up with the promotion in December.

Riho was the first AEW Women’s champion, defeating Nyla Rose in a tournament final on the October 2, 2019 edition of Dynamite. Rose later went on to defeat Rhio for the title on February 20th of last year.