The AEW women's division is running circles around the men's division

All Elite Wrestling has carved out a place in the industry, and fans beam with excitement to see high-level professional wrestling each week. There’s a lot to enjoy about AEW and question when it comes to the week-to-week booking. But one thing has stood strong in recent months, the women’s division remains the most interesting aspect of the company, solidifying a complete turnaround to where it once was.

The July 25 episode of AEW Dynamite featured the famed Blood and Guts match. It is an annual event that personifies violence in all ways. This year’s showcase included top names like Swerve Strickland and Kazuchika Okada, but it still felt “less than” in comparison to years past. Even though it was the main event, it isn’t what has kept people talking (at least in a positive sense) in the hours after the event.

That accolade sits within the women’s division. AEW is still working through the criticism of the amount of time the women’s division gets on TV. This episode gave the women more time than any past episode that included the B&G match. That time went to further some important feuds in the division. Toni Storm finally confronted Mariah May after that violent attack, setting the stage for a huge showdown at All-In. Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale continued their feud, which is certainly going to cement one of them as a title contender to come. Kamille finally made her debut, attacking Britt Baker to form an alliance with Mercedes Mone, creating hope that Jamie Hayter’s return is right around the corner. Even Hikaru Shida saw some character development while taking a defeat at the hands of Baker.

All of that was packed into 20 minutes of action. The AEW women’s division is running circles around the men’s division and it is not even close. The division remains fresh as new faces are introduced and find their way in important moments. There’s emotional weight to all the contests that give them and their outcomes are significant. And even while predictable, that doesn’t take away from any of the excitement during the payoff.

Fans have long wanted to see the women’s division get their due within AEW, and the fruits of that push are starting to pay off. Yes, the men’s division is lagging for reasons that should be broken down into a piece of its own, but that doesn’t take away from the momentum that the ladies continue to build back, even after having it cut down from them time after time. Many will point toward the signing of Mercedes Mone as the catalyst of this turn, which is correct on a number of levels. But there have been ebbs and flows of this for the past few years. The difference is that Tony Khan is finally making the right decisions to keep the energy up within this division.

AEW All-In is coming in hot next month and there’s a lot to look forward to on the card. That’s especially true within the women’s division, which has become the most interesting part of the company in recent months.