As All Elite Wrestling begins to navigate a busy spring and summer time pay-per-view schedule that may culminate with All In London from inside Wembley Stadium on August 30, the AEW Women’s Division is having to push via this stretch with out its anchor being.
Unless you are a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you are seemingly not going to perceive that reference, but it is spot on when articulating the significance of “Timeless” Toni Storm.
The four-time AEW Women’s World Champion, for causes unknown to the general public at the moment, is reportedly out of motion till someday in 2027. Losing such a significant participant for that lengthy a stretch will undoubtedly be a tough hurdle to clear, but AEW President Tony Khan has accomplished a spectacular job of increase the depth of his roster throughout Storm’s run on high. There’s greater than sufficient expertise at his disposal to not solely assist stabilize the locker room but additionally carry it to new heights.
Jamie Hayter, a former AEW Women’s World Champion in her personal proper, was there firstly of Storm’s transition from rock star Toni to the “Timeless” surprise that stole our hearts. While the 2 of them might not have the most effective relationship on display, Hayter was greater than keen to give Storm her flowers whereas talking to The Takedown on SI.
“I think Toni did such a fantastic job and no one else could have done that. She really did carry this division for those three years, and she was the division I feel like,” Hayter stated, whereas additionally recognizing the necessity for somebody to step up in Storm’s absence. “Of course, this is an opportunity for myself and for everybody else. It’s a chance to kind of mix up the roster a bit more. Maybe put people in the mix that haven’t been for a while.”
Hayter will step into the ring Sunday evening at AEW Dynasty, the place she may change into a two-time AEW Women’s World Champion. Her opponent, Thekla, is a major instance of what somebody can change into if given the possibility to showcase their talents on a considerably constant foundation.
Jamie Hayter desires to see extra ladies within the AEW locker room get their sink or swim second
“A lot of people don’t have experience doing live promos and that in itself is a scary thing,” Hayter said. “So let’s put people in the deep end and see what they can do. Because I think having the pressure of doing those things will then set you up for when maybe you do become the World Champion, you do become the TBS champ. Something like that.”
The Toxic Spider came visiting to All Elite Wrestling final summer time after a four-year run with World Wonder Ring Stardom, one of many premier feminine wrestling promotions in Japan.
She made a reputation for herself on her very first evening with the corporate by attacking Jamie Hayter, and her simple presence and immense charisma helped catapult her to the highest of the AEW Women’s Division lower than a yr after her arrival.
Whether it is herself or not, Hayter would love to discover out who else within the locker room is on the verge of turning into a breakout star. But there isn’t a discovery with out some degree of threat.
AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla’s concept of an excellent time apart, she warns Jamie Hayter and anybody who challenges for her title as #AEWDynamite is LIVE on TBS and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/yndC9Ck6Xy
— AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) April 9, 2026
“This is a process for everyone. We’re constantly learning. We are all at different parts of our careers and we’ve been at AEW for different lengths of time. So I think it really is the perfect moment to just switch things up and give things a try. It’s never a bad thing to try things out. And if it doesn’t work or it doesn’t go well, if it doesn’t feel good, you can always do something else. That’s the beauty of wrestling.”
Sunday evening’s combat for the AEW Women’s World Championship from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, will mark simply the second time that Jamie Hayter has ever gone one-on-one with Thekla.
Hayter defeated the Toxic Spider at AEW WrestleDream again in October, but conceded that her opponent tonight might be vastly completely different from the one she confronted earlier than. And the dance created from their contrasting kinds might be fascinating to watch unfold.
“I would liken myself to more the Neanderthal. My thing is just to hit the girl really hard. Throw the girl really hard. That’s just kind of what I know to do. That’s how my brain is,” Hayter said with a laugh. “She’s a lot more calculated… and she does more submissions. I’m not really a submission specialist. She could put something on me and I don’t even know what that is. I dunno how she did that.”
Thekla will look to counter Hayter’s power along with her agility and distinctive athleticism. The reigning AEW Women’s World Champion has the power to do issues within the ring that not many ladies can replicate, which presents some challenges, but additionally will get Jamie’s inventive juices flowing as she does her prep work.
“If I’m wrestling someone that’s a hard hitter like me, then it’s pretty easy. We’re just gonna hit the absolute s— out of each other. But with someone that isn’t like that, it’s hard to judge,” Hayter stated. “You have to understand that what would work for one person definitely isn’t gonna work for this kind of style or this kind of person. So I do have to put my wrestling brain on a bit.”
A victory tonight for Jamie Hayter would put her on observe to lastly fulfill a dream that changed into a nightmare state of affairs three years in the past.
Months earlier than AEW All In took over London’s Wembley Stadium for the primary time, the Eastleigh, U.Ok. native started affected by some critical again points. She had two herniated disks that compelled her to drop the AEW Women’s World Title to Toni Storm in a comparatively brief match at AEW Double or Nothing 2023.
She would find yourself lacking over a yr of motion, and even informed AEW correspondent Renee Paquette that she thought of strolling away from wrestling earlier than finally making her comeback. With All In set to return to London in just some months’ time, Hayter has one purpose in thoughts for the present later this summer time.
“I wanna make my country proud,” Hayter stated. “Whatever happens, happens. Whether I go as a champion, whether I leave as a champion. Who knows what will happen at Wembley? My main goal is that I wanna stay healthy, just in case.”
While Hayter did obtain one heck of a pop from the group that assembled at Wembley Stadium when she made her shock look at All In 2024, she has but to wrestle a match at this marquee occasion. Fingers crossed, she’ll get that chance in August.
“Third time lucky. Third time lucky. So, it’s gonna happen. I’ve been manifesting it for quite some time, but if it doesn’t happen, then what can you do? I roll with the punches. I never have any expectations in wrestling.”
The Takedown on SI could have extra from our dialog with Jamie Hayter this coming Wednesday, April 15, as she discusses the origin of the Brawling Birds.
Our Jon Alba additionally had the chance to communicate with Kenny Omega forward of his AEW Men’s World Championship match tonight at AEW Dynasty. You can watch their total dialog on our YouTube channel by clicking on the video above. Make certain to give us a like and comply with for extra nice professional wrestling content material!
