AEW: Three ‘hidden gems’ on the women’s roster

AEW women’s division has many stars which can also cause some less established talents to go under the radar, however, they do stand out amongst the rest.

All Elite Wrestling’s women’s roster continues to grow with the focus now being put on well-established names like Kris Statlander, Saraya, Hikaru Shida, and Toni Storm. It is time for AEW to feature fresh faces in the women’s division, especially around the championship scenes. Here are three “hidden gems” that AEW could rely on in the future.

Julia Hart

At just 21 years old Julia Hart already has one of the brightest futures in AEW. Since joining the House of Black in May of last year, Hart has picked up 24 straight wins. While Hart did pick up the majority of her wins on AEW’s former YouTube shows, Dark and Elevation, the accomplishment is still impressive despite her not being featured on TV as much. Earlier this year, Hart had a very vicious feud with Anna Jay which resulted in several brawls between the two and Hart also managed to gain two impressive wins against Jay, one in a regular singles match and the other in a No Holds Barred match. Hart’s last official in-ring action came in July against local competitor Bambi Hall on an episode of AEW Collision. Whenever the other House of Black members have matches, Hart is always seen ringside and even aids them during their matches.

Through her work with the House of Black, fans have been able to not only see Hart’s in-ring improvement but also see her carry out effective character work, mainly through pre-taped vignettes and video packages. Hart’s transformation from a bubbly cheerleader to her now darker, gothic persona has been praised by fans, and given that she has a 24-match win streak, her work has been noticed by AEW officials as well. With the AEW women’s division needing new, fresh faces in the championship scenes, right now is the time for Hart to return to in-ring action and challenge for a title whether it’s the AEW Women’s World Championship or the TBS Championship.

The Final Girls – The Bunny & Penelope Ford

AEW does not have an official women’s tag team division but if it did The Final Girls would be one of its top acts. The Bunny and Penelope Ford had been absent from in-ring competition for some time, that was until The Bunny, accompanied by Ford, recently made her return in a match against Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D on Dynamite in August. Bunny had been out of in-ring action since February after sustaining an injury. Ford has also been dealing with her own medical issues and has not seen in-ring action since October of last year. Although both women are not always absent from TV, as they often valet Kip Sabian and The Butcher & The Blade down to the ring for their matches.

Now that The Bunny has returned, if or when Ford makes her return, they could become a dominant duo in the women’s division. Fans have already seen what they can do together, as shown in the violent Tag Team Street Fight bout against Anna Jay and Tay Melo in December 2021. AEW often features women’s tag team matches and recently we have seen more and more alliances, such as Diamante & Mercedes Martinez, Skye Blue & Willow Nightingale, Saraya & Ruby Soho, and even ATHENA & Billie Starks who have been working together in Ring of Honor. Bunny and Ford could be the ones to light the spark for an actual AEW women’s tag team division.

Leyla Hirsch

Leyla Hirsch recently made her return to wrestling after suffering an injury in April of last year. Although she has yet to appear in AEW since her return, she has become a dominant competitor in Ring of Honor. Aligning herself with veterans The Kingdom (Maria Kanellis, Mike Bennett, and Matt Taven) has done wonders for Hirsch as she currently has a nine-match win streak, with eight of those wins being in singles matches. Ranking up wins could mean that Hirsch will be a potential challenger for the current ROH Women’s World Champion ATHENA in the future.

If or when Hirsch makes her return to AEW television, she could become a standout star in the division. Standing at 4′ 11″ makes her the shortest competitor however her unique skills and amateur wrestling background set her aside from the rest.