Willow Nightingale is a babyface the division should be built around

AEW WrestleDream got off to a hot start with two big matches to open the show. In the second match, Mariah May defeated Willow Nightingale to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship. It was an excellent showcase match for both ladies, and yet another reminder how important Nightingale is to this women’s division. In fact, she’s the type that an entire division could be built around.

2024 has been a big year for Willow Nightingale. She held both the AEW TBS Championship and CMLL World Women’s Championship. While neither of those reigns hit 100 days, she proved that she has what it takes to deliver in those big matches. Fans may complain that her reigns were booked as a “transitional champion,” but her ceiling is much higher than that.

This next statement may cause many to roll their eyes, but it needs to be said. Willow Nightingale has the potential to be the John Cena of a women’s division. What does that mean? She could generate insane levels of babyface appeal with both adults and children. She was beloved long before joining All Elite Wrestling but signing up for this company pushed her star power into another stratosphere. Has that translated into title wins? No, but that falls on the booking and not the performer. There are several stories of wrestlers throughout history not hitting the highest points, simply because the promoter had their eyes on others. Nightingale has suffered from the same situation in All Elite Wrestling.

Think about her multiple matches against Jade Cargill when she was within her dominating reign as TBS Champion. The perfect story to tell was for Nightingale to finally overcome Cargill before the latter left for WWE. But Tony Khan was dead set on booking that win for Kris Statlander. Every time that Nightingale rises the ranks, the fans are there to support her. That support never wains after multiple title defeats, so imagine what it would look like if she were booked to enjoy a lengthy run as AEW Women’s World Champion. AEW would have a superstar on its hands.

Outside of the ring, Willow Nightingale reaches across demographics in ways that other women can’t. Everything about her makes her feel like the underdog that pushed their way to the top. That’s a character that should be embraced and elevated at every step of the way. These are the types of characters that frequently resonate in professional wrestling, and All Elite Wrestling has the opportunity to build an amazing in the women’s division.

AEW has a stacked roster in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Willow Nightingale is one of the performers who consistently stands out. Not only for the love and support she gets in the ring but for what she represents outside of it. Here’s to hoping Tony Khan fully utilizes that potential, because she’s the type that an entire division can be built around.