Nyla Rose should be the inaugural AEW Women’s World Champion

In just a little bit under three weeks, Nyla Rose will face Riho AEW ‘s first women’s title match on the promotion’s network television debut.

Two weeks ago, Nyla Rose outlasted 20 other competitors in the Women’s Casino Battle Royale to become the first contender for the AEW Women’s World Championship. After losing her first two matches with the promotion, Rose shined the brightest and made a strong case that she should be the company’s inaugural women’s champion.

At All Out, Nyla Rose opened the battle royal as one of the clubs and went on to pick up ten eliminations in a dominant performance. That’s twice as many as Britt Baker, who many predicted would win the event. Rose ultimately eliminated Baker with the help of Bea Priestley in a stunning victory.

It would seem many people overlooked “The Native Beast,” who has already developed a strong following. Having her go on to defeat another fan favorite, Riho, in her hometown—Washington, D.C.—would be fitting. Moreover, it would be a good way to prove how unpredictable AEW can be.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Many detractors will claim that this decision would merely be a publicity stunt in a time, where it’s beneficial to appear progressive. However, that does not diminish how important it is for a transgender woman to hold a world title at a North American wrestling promotion.

In October of 2016, the Samoan wrestler, Candy Lee, became the first transgender woman to win a world title in New Zealand for IPW. She and ASUKA 朱崇花—not to be confused with the WWE Superstar of the same name—are trailblazers, but American trans individuals deserve to see themselves represented as well.

It’s great to see Nyla Rose compete at a major wrestling promotion. If AEW wants to prove they’re serious about inclusion, it’s not enough to just offer her spot on the roster though. Crowning her as their first women’s champion would go a long way to prove their intentions are legitimate and provide an opportunity that hasn’t been granted by any of their competitors.

With all of that said, Nyla Rose is an incredible talent, who deserves the chance to stand at the forefront of a women’s division. Yes, representation matters, but “The American Kaiju” shouldn’t be discriminated or solely highlighted because of who she is either. Her strength and ability as a wrestler merit a run as AEW Women’s World Champion.

Rose is so unique. She doesn’t look or move like anyone else on the women’s roster, let alone AEW’s competitors. Even more, you can tell she has so much potential as a character and she’s just scratching the surface. That was clear when she appeared at the Double or Nothing Ticket Rally earlie this year.

If Nyla Rose wins in a few weeks, her reign as AEW Women’s World Champion could be a great weight to flesh out her character. Regardless, it will be great to see more of this fall, but it feels like the right time to make her champion coming out of her performance at All Out.