Thekla wins Women’s World title on AEW Dynamite
The reign of Thekla as AEW Women’s World Champion has officially begun.
Thekla defeated Kris Statlander on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite in a strap match, ending things when she tied Statlander’s hands behind her back and delivered a curb stomp. Statlander had been distracted by the Sisters of Sin who attempted to interfere.
It’s the first singles title anywhere for the 32-year-old since 2022. She last held gold in Stardom as one half of the Goddesses of Stardom tag champions alongside Momo Watanabe.
The upset ends the 145-day inaugural Statlander reign which began at last September’s All Out in a four-way that also included Thekla. Statlander had defended the title five times before Wednesday including a successful defense against Thekla on January 28.
After the match, the Brawling Birds of Jamie Hayter & Alex Windsor ran out to help Statlander even the odds. Statlander had been bloodied by Thekla during the match and was bleeding profusely from her head.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.