AEW: Thunder Rosa vs Leyla Hirsch was the perfect tournament opener

Thunder Rosa and Leyla Hirsch were the right pair to start off an important women’s tournament in AEW. 

The excitement around the AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator tournament is justifiable. The women of AEW have long deserved the opportunity to be featured just like the men on the roster, and this is a step in the right direction. With the field fleshed out entirely, the tournament kicked off on Wednesday. The bout between Leyla Hirsch and Thunder Rosa was the perfect pairing to get the tournament started off and set the tone for what is to come.

The term “bout” is the perfect way to describe the match between Rosa and Hirsch. In an industry today where too, many matches consist of well-rehearsed spots, Hirsch versus Rosa looked more like a grappling match that one would see on the mats of Polaris or another major competitive grappling organization. Neither woman held back at any moment, making this one of the more enjoyable matches seen recently on AEW Dynamite.

This match was a showcase of sorts, of the many different styles of wrestling that are going to be featured across this tournament. As AEW continues to bring the world of wrestling closer together, this tournament is going to introduce American wrestling fans to many different names that they would not see otherwise.

Hirsch is one of those names, as she has been a part of AEW as of late, this was a big match for her even in defeat. She stood toe-to-toe with a former champion in Rosa, taking all the offense that the former NWA Women’s World champion could muster, while giving out plenty of her own. Rosa is known for making every contest she has look like an actual fight and this battle continued that trend. Viewers in attendance and those watching thoroughly enjoyed the physicality in this match as the reception to it has been all positive.

Over on NXT there is another tournament going on as the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic approaches its finality this weekend. This year, just like the years before, kicked off with massive matches that included the introduction of MSK and Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro picking up big wins in their respective openers. Those two matches set the stage for what has been an enjoyable tournament week after week. Hirsh and Rosa did the same thing when the lights were shining on them this Wednesday. Their performance now puts the “pressure” of sorts on the women behind them to raise the bar with each matchup. That is the type of energy that escalates into a great showing across the board.

Thunder Rosa and Leyla Hirsch put on a show with their match to open the AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator. Now, every pairing should be working to top them when they get their opportunity to perform. If the bar for this entire tournament matches what Hirsch and Rosa brought out on Wednesday, then everyone should buckle up for what will be an enjoyable ride from start to finish.