Three fresh challengers for Hikaru Shida as AEW Women’s Champion

Hikaru Shida has claimed the AEW Women’s World Championship for the second time and the division should look at putting her against some fresh challengers. 

Fans were both elated and surprised that Hikaru Shida defeated Toni Storm to become AEW Women’s World Champion for the second time. It was an opportunity to do a lot of positive things with the division under the on-air leadership of a beloved champion. With AEW All In on the horizon, the same faces are back in the title picture.  This is a look forward to three new challengers that could rise to build more interest in the division as fresh contenders.

Penelope Ford

It has been quite a while since Penelope Ford has stepped into a ring to compete. An injury kept her sidelined for the better part of six months, but she’s recently made a return from said injury. Now that she’s healthy, AEW has the opportunity to book a new challenger to the championship – one that would be a breath of fresh air near the top of the division. With eight years of experience under her belt, Ford is more skilled in the ring than many give her credit for, as she doesn’t often get the opportunity to stand out as a wrestler on her own.

Julia Hart

Julia Hart is a young wrestler that fans are ready to rally behind. She’s carved out her own place as a member of the House of Black and has the potential to surge even higher. Remember how Carmella started with but eventually outpaced Enzo and Big Cass (now known as Big Bill), AEW may be looking at a similar prospect in Julia Hart. She has the look of a champion and could be crafted into an eventual top name in the division. She sits in the gray area as a character, but perhaps her biggest upside is that on the side of being a babyface in the future.

Serena Deeb

Hikaru Shida and Serena Deeb have some business to attend to in AEW. Since being in the promotion together. Deeb is holding the advantage of 3-2 in head-to-head competition. These two ladies beat the mess out of each other for much of 2022, with Deeb’s level of violence writing Shida off television for months. Giving these two the opportunity to tell the next chapter in their feud would be a big deal. Imagine putting Deeb in the Blackpool Combat Club and letting her presence ratch up the level of violence that the faction gives out each night. Shida versus Deeb would be a crazy feud for the championship.