AEW’s men had their Casino Gauntlet Match Wednesday, which is a shame, because they were almost immediately outshined by the women’s triple threat for the #1 Spot in the Women’s Casino Gauntlet Match. Toni Storm, Kris Statlander, and Willow Nightingale showed the Tennessee crowd a phenomenal wrestling bout. No gimmicks, no outside interference — just great wrestling. Storm, Statlander, and Nightingale showed us that AEW is truly where the best women wrestle.
The match, admittedly, started off with a slow roll-up sequence. Things picked up when Nightingale nailed Storm with a spinebuster, to which Statlander responded with an arm drag. Statlander and Nightingale had a really solid grappling sequence — a staple to any wrestling match that is often sorely underappreciated. Of course, you have your AEW ridiculousness in that collaborative low-blow, with Nightingale sent Storm face-first into a bragging Statlander’s crotch.
All women played their parts excellently in this match, particularly Storm. AEW has really allowed her expertise in in-ring psychology to shine, from her “Timeless” gimmick to her current, retro “Toni Time” gimmick. She spent most of the match trying to get offense in, only to be knocked to the outside by either Statlander or Nightingale — exactly how she would have been if she was legitimately a rookie. She was the one who ate the pin — exactly how she would if she was legitimately a rookie. While commentary is kind of ruining the illusion by bringing up her past as a three-time AEW Women’s World Championship, I’m happy that Storm and AEW booking is not afraid to let her be booked like the rookie she is claiming to be.
I have already extensively written my praises about Statlander during her two TBS Championship matches against Mercedes Moné, and honestly, I am glad that she is being booked like the talented wrestler she is. I’d argue that, despite her two losses, Statlander has a lot of great momentum now — she has showed that she is willing to go head-to-head with the best, and she is being treated accordingly. While I don’t believe that Statlander is the person to dethrone current AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May — and that’s if she can translate pole position into a victory — I do appreciate that she is being posited as a possible player in the world title scene.
Nightingale was the star of the match for me. She is just so good in the ring, combining agility with brute strength to give a truly stunning performance. She was able to go toe-to-toe with the experienced Statlander, and she worked pretty well with the alleged-newbie Storm. She is just the full package, and while I do wish that she got the win, she still heavily contributed to making this Triple Threat a contender for Match of the Night.
With AEW’s record of lackluster women’s competition, I’m glad Storm, Statlander, and Nightingale performed as well they did. The rest of the locker room — men and women — should take notes.
Written by Angeline Phu
