Tony Khan must keep the women's division momentum rolling

One of the top matches from AEW Double or Nothing featured Willow Nightingale taking on Mercedes Mone. Mone walked out with a victory, taking the AEW TBS Championship in tow. Nightingale not only took the loss but was tortured by Stokley Hathaway and Kris Statlander turning on her. It is yet another big angle to hopefully bust the AEW Women’s division. A division that once again has some momentum behind it that Tony Khan must capitalize on while the energy is hot.

There’s an interesting graphic going around on social media to highlight another accolade on Mercedes Mone’s career. With her victory on Sunday, she has taken part in the two longest women’s matches in the two biggest promotions in North American wrestling. Her 2016 match with Charlotte Flair holds the WWE record at 34:45. The match against Nightingale was 18:04, a record for AEW. The distance between those two numbers speaks volumes, but still stands as another feather in her proverbial cap.

There was a lot of noise surrounding Mone’s entrance to AEW and wondering whether it was working or not. All of that went away when the match started. The crowd was rabid from start to finish, hanging onto every moment. The reaction was second perhaps only to the madness that was Anarchy in the Arena and MJF’s return. But it is those types of reactions and the interest in what is next that highlight why Mone is such a star. The rest of the division feeds off that energy.

Toni Storm versus Serena Deeb was also a great match, even though the crowd reaction wasn’t the same. Storm is giving some of her best work with this “Timeless” gimmick and fans are loving it. The story that grows between her and Mariah May has the potential to be one of the better angles to watch unfold in the coming months. Giving May the victory in the Owen Hart Tournament and slow-burning this story is the exact way to go.

Statlander versus Nightingale should be presented as a major angle as well. Fans want to see Willow get her due time in the spotlight. Thirty-five days as AEW TBS Champion isn’t enough for someone as beloved as she, and a face that should be the center of this division.

The AEW Women’s division has momentum behind it and Khan can’t once again mess this up. Or at least, he shouldn’t be left off the hook if he does. Equitable time on television each week. The opportunity to be a single main event on a PPV. The same type of showcase matches as the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match. A women’s Continental Classic. All of these “firsts” must happen for the women on the roster and happen soon. No longer can Khan word-salad his way out of answering these questions. He has a roster that fans are demanding to see and a roster with the ability to deliver if given the opening. Now is the time to keep this momentum rolling.