AEW has to get Jade Cargill out of this holding pattern

Jade Cargill is a dominant force in AEW, but the company needs to find a way to get her out of this long-term holding pattern. 

The first AEW Dynamite of February 2023 is coming in hot and there’s a big women’s match scheduled for the show. Jade Cargill will defend her championship against her former “Baddie,” Red Velvet. It’s a rematch as the two have faced off in the past, but also a full circle of their story. However, regardless of the outcome, AEW is in an interesting place when it comes to booking Cargill in the future.

The story around Cargill’s run is her quest to remain undefeated. With 50-1 hanging in the balance, she’s remained dominant each time out. It will be interesting to see what the duo do differently from their two matches back in 2021. Still, expectations are high that Cargill will walk out of the match with the victory and the TBS Championship in tow.

But then what? Where does Cargill go from here? The big aspect of an undefeated streak in professional wrestling is the story of the one individual who rises up to get that first pin. There’s been a lot of speculation that Kris Statlander is the one that Tony Khan has dubbed the woman to defeat Cargill. Unfortunately, the injury bug continues to plague her. Statlander tore her ACL and LCL in her right leg back in August of 2022, and that’s an injury that can force competitors out for nearly a year. That decision limits what the company can do with Cargill at this point and sticks her into a holding pattern that she shouldn’t be in at this time.

Is Jade Cargill stuck until Kris Statlander returns?

So, how does AEW keep Cargill hot in the meantime? That’s the million-dollar question. She’s run through most of the roster and watching her squash opponents isn’t as captivating as it once was. AEW’s women’s division is getting a boost as of late, as the storyline between the “AEW Originals” and new names signed to the company ramps up. Important names like Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, Ruby Soho, Willow Nightingale, Saraya, and Hikaru Shida are all wrapped up in that angle – with potentially more to come if it leads to a Blood & Guts match.

Cargill is kept separately from that angle, even though she has as much of a claim to being an AEW Original as anyone else. It would be something to see her added to that angle after this match with Velvet, as it would be a new look at her as a performer. But there will certainly be questions about her in-ring abilities compared to the others previously named.

If the promotion decides to keep her separate, it will be harder to draw interest in her one-off matches that do not involve more intricate angles. Plus, she’s running out of capable foils on the AEW roster. Perhaps the promotion could look to partner with another company like Impact to leverage some of the women on their roster, as they have done with the men time and time again.

Jade Cargill is an attraction and one of the biggest on the AEW roster. Everything about her screams superstar and has done so since her first time stepping into the ring. Since that debut back in March of 2021, AEW has built her into one of the most important women on the AEW roster. However, the question becomes what the company does with her now as she seems to be in a holding pattern until her true rival walks through the door.