PWI Weekly for October 7, 2024
Grrl Power: NXT Throwback, DELTA To NXT, Williow Nightingale, And More
AS THIS EDITION OF THE PWI Weekly lands in your inbox, it coincides with us wrapping our work on our annual “Women’s 250” issue. And while we might be biased, we think this edition will stand as one of the best we have ever done. The list, which started off life as the “Female 50,” has now grown into one of our mostly eagerly anticipated releases—and that’s a testament to the quality and quantity of women’s wrestling happening around the globe.
So, in preparation for our “Women’s 250” release, we hope you enjoy this girl-powered installment of the PWI Weekly.
MATCH OF THE WEEK
On this date in 2015, WWE held NXT TakeOver: Respect at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. In the show’s main event, NXT Women’s champion Bayley successfully overcame the challenge of Sasha Banks to retain her title belt in a 30-minute Iron Woman match. The bout made history in more ways than one, being voted PWI’s 2015 Match of the Year.
Nine years after their clashes on WWE’s developmental brand, Bayley is now a fixture of the main roster, while Banks is a top star in AEW as Mercedes Mone. Although the chances of these two clashing again anytime soon seem low, we are thankful that classics like this (and others) are recorded for posterity.
A QUICK WORD ABOUT …
On last week’s edition of WWE NXT, a Mad Max-style vignette aired, featuring a mysterious newcomer with an intimidating presence. Those who have been closely following the Australian wrestling scene immediately recognized the newcomer in question as DELTA.
A former Women’s champion for both Melbourne City Wrestling and Riot City Wrestling, the “Adelaide Powerhouse” also held traditionally male championships for both promotions. She was featured, alongside Aussie peers Jessica Troy and Charli Evans, in the Fall 2024 issue of PWI. Look for DELTA to dominate the competition in her signature fashion on upcoming episodes of NXT.
SPOTLIGHT ON …
Willow Nightingale has become known for her lovable demeanor and trademark catchphrase, “Nothing Matters … Smile Anyway.” Yet, there is far more to the AEW star than her winning smile and subtle, tongue-in-cheek nihilism. When the occasion calls for it, she can be downright ruthless—as we saw in her no-DQ battle with Kris Statlander at All Out, when Nightingale produced a bundle of fluorescent light tubes to wield against her friend-turned-rival.
In previous hardcore bouts, Nightingale has proven to be one of the most fearless competitors in the entire AEW Women’s division. And it is precisely this attitude that has made her a multi-time champion, including her recent run as CMLL World Women’s titlist. On last week’s edition of Dynamite, we saw the “Babe With The Power” step to the reigning AEW Women’s World champion, Mariah May, even dropping a rare cuss word during the backstage encounter.
If you’re looking for a safe bet, put your money on Willow Nightingale winning the AEW Women’s championship sometime in the next year or so. Given her immense popularity and in-ring determination, she is bound to reach the pinnacle of her division before too long.
FROM THE VAULT
In the above photo, taken at Stardom Dream Queendom 2022, Utami Hayashishita attempts to wear down Kairi Sane with a chokehold variation. This was a thrilling bout, which pitted top stars of two different Stardom eras against one another. And, unsurprisingly, it ended in a time-limit draw.
Today, Sane is back at her old WWE stomping grounds, where she competes as part of Damage CTRL. Meanwhile, Hayashishita is a pillar of the upstart Marigold promotion in Japan. Considering the established relationship between Marigold and WWE, might we eventually see this rematch happen on one of those two stages? If so, we hope these heavy hitters are given ample time to compete. Wrestling fans deserve to see a decisive winner!