AEW: Ruby Riott Would Be A Perfect Fit In The Women’s Division

On June 2nd, WWE announced that in an attempt to trim their budget that they had released a number of wrestlers from their roster.  Talented performers such as Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Ruby Riott, Buddy Murphy, and Lana were no longer going to be part of the WWE brand.  Most of the talk around these releases has centered, and maybe rightfully so, on Braun Strowman and Aleister Black.

Strowman was easily the most accomplished wrestler to be let go, and most wrestling fans believe that Black has the most potential to be built into a big star at whatever brand that he should happen to land next.

And while Riott’s release may have gone a bit under the radar, Ruby Riott is the talent that should most pique the interest of Tony Khan and AEW.

AEW’s women’s division has made great strides in the past six months.

It wasn’t that long ago that AEW’s women’s division was widely viewed as the weak link on the AEW chain.  And even as the criticisms flew and fans clamored for AEW to “fix” their women’s division, the promotion was quietly doing so right under our noses on their YouTube show, AEW Dark.

AEW has used its YouTube shows, (they have since added a second YouTube show, AEW Dark: Elevation) to develop its young talent but also as an audition set for independent talent.  And this idea has paid dividends.  A number of the women signed to AEW’s roster started as enhancement talent for the promotion.  Using this platform to produce good performances on a consistent basis led to contracts for the likes of Anna Jay, Abadon, Red Velvet, and Leyla Hirsh.

AEW also made some smart free agent signings, such as Serena Deeb, Tay Conti, and Jade Cargill, as all three of these women have brought value to the promotion in a variety of ways.

Couple that with the fact that Kris Statlander and Britt Baker came back strong from injuries suffered in 2020 and that NWA has allowed Thunder Rosa to compete on a regular basis in AEW, and this division has suddenly become very deep and talented.

But as talented as it may be, it also needs strong characters to carry out storylines that the fans will care about and AEW has a vast array of characters in its women’s division.

The division boasts some powerhouses, the unsettling Abadon, an alien, an unhinged and maniacal bunny, and even an arrogant, champion dentist.  And of course, you also have the babyfaces, that fight their heel counterparts every step of the way.

But the division is missing one vital element.  It needs that loner, the one that walks the line between face and heel and has that unpredictable quality about them.  The one that adds mystery and intrigue to every match and segment because you truly have no clue what they might do, but you can’t help but get behind because of their fearless attitude.  And that role is where Ruby Riott can excel in AEW.

Ruby Riott will add that missing ingredient to take the AEW women’s division to the next level.

Riott already has the look to portray this role perfectly.  The tattoos, the piercings, and the dyed hair all play into the ability to make this character work.

But to allow Riott to truly capture the audience from the beginning, AEW needs to deviate from its normal style of introducing a new signee to its roster.  Riott cannot be introduced in the way where she comes out, waves to the crowd, and signs a contract, and then she is done for the evening.

Ruby should make an impact on an existing storyline in the women’s division during her very first appearance.  Part of the reason Sting’s introduction was so much more memorable than most in AEW, (other than the fact that Sting is Sting) was that he was immediately plugged into a storyline upon arrival and we had no idea what his intentions were.  Ruby needs to be introduced in much the same way.

Ruby Riott would bring value to the AEW women’s division in a number of ways.

Riott is an experienced veteran that has performed well in big spots when given an opportunity, proving the spotlight is not too bright for her.

Riott has competed on pretty much every WWE pay-per-view imaginable including WrestleMania.  Her most notable performance came at the 2019 Elimination Chamber when she pushed WWE Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey to the limit before being submitted.

Because of this experience, Ruby Riott would enter AEW ready to take on the best the promotion has to offer at the top of the card.

Riott would also come into AEW as the most experienced woman on the roster as far as working on live television.   Having that experience to be able to pass on to her peers in the women’s locker room would prove to be invaluable as the AEW women’s division continues to build momentum.

Ruby also has vast experience as both a tag-team and singles competitor.  She has shown herself to be very adept at both, from her work with the Riott Squad to her aforementioned championship match push versus Rousey.

The AEW women’s division is no longer a weak link.  It has grown stronger over the past six months.  But the time has come to take it to the next level as the division continues to close the gap on the men’s singles and tag teams divisions.  Signing Ruby Riott would be a huge step in that direction.