AEW and NXT Wednesday Night War: 3 winners of night #17
Riho and Nyla Rose
When Nyla Rose and Riho faced off for the AEW Women’s Championship on Dynamite’s inaugural episode, it didn’t take long to notice the chemistry these two shared between the ropes. The formula was simple: Riho was the lovable, undersized babyface who had to fight from underneath against the athletic-but-menacing monster heel in Rose, and the combination produced a memorable title match that Riho won by the skin of her teeth.
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On this week’s Dynamite, the two rivals tangled once again for the women’s division’s richest prize, where they once again kept the audience hanging on every move and nearfall.
It followed the same template as their first meeting: Riho used her speed, strikes, and technical prowess to counter Rose’s power. But this time, the match ended with Rose hitting her signature powerbomb to score the clean pinfall and the AEW Women’s title.
As much as the 10-year-old mark in me is disappointed that Riho lost (she was that effective as a babyface, but more on that in a bit), putting the title on Rose was the correct decision.
If Rose has lost to Riho again in a championship match – she also ate the pin against Riho in a Fatal 4 Way match earlier this year – it would’ve positioned her as a choker who couldn’t seal the deal in big matches and render the last few weeks of rebuilding pointless.
Now, she can hold the title for a little while and build her heat with some dominant wins. The AEW Women’s division is more heel heavy than people realize, but the potential for great feuds with the likes of Big Swole, Kris Statlander, Hikaru Shida, and, if she’s able to, Awesome Kong is there.
Riho should also get a ton of credit for setting a high standard for that championship in her 133 days with the gold; she was booked exquisitely during her reign as a competitor who won with her skill and in-ring acumen despite almost always being the smaller competitor.
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As mentioned in a previous slide, she will probably move into a feud with Britt Baker for a while, but we will definitely see her and Rose clash for that title again. Given what they’ve crafted in their first two matches, the third chapter – whenever it happens – is sure to be just as compelling.