Why It’s FINALLY Time for AEW Women’s Tag Team Championships
There’s a rumor floating that WWE could be scheduling their first Women’s Evolution PPV/PLE in 7 years. And that rumored date (July 13th) just happens to fall on the weekend of All In: Texas, the night after Saturday Night Main Event on July 12th, the very night of All In: Texas.
Do I look worried? Let me get on the horn to Tony Khan to tell him how NOT worried I am that the #1 is trying to stomp out the #2 into submission…
Anyway — From that news, and over recent past events this year, I came to yet another genius conclusion (again):
AEW Women’s Tag Team Championships need to be created — NOW.
So for shits and giggles, I asked ChatGPT if AEW should introduce women’s tag team titles. Why just take my word for it? The response is below:
Introducing women’s tag team titles in AEW is a potentially strong idea , but it hinges on a few key factors:
✅ Why It Could Work
Roster Depth (if expanded): AEW has a talented women’s division, and introducing tag titles could spotlight more talent simultaneously — especially rising or underutilized stars.
Storyline Variety: It opens up more storytelling opportunities — alliances, betrayals, faction dynamics, and long-term feuds.
Differentiation: It could set AEW apart from WWE, where women’s tag booking has often been inconsistent. AEW could carve out a more compelling space.
–
…what, you think I’m going to post why it “wouldn’t” work?
Screw that. It would work. And I’m here to tell you why (again). We have five (count em’, five) very simple reasons why this works right now, and honestly, I would do this by All In: Texas. I do this by All In: Texas, to feature three prominent women’s championships from the best division in the industry up against a potential WWE Evolution PLE.
We might as well go down swinging, am I right?
–
Reason #1 | They Have the Talent
It’s always odd to me that many naysayers give ‘not having enough talent’ as the #1 reason for them not to introduce these titles. Pound-for-Pound, this is the best division in women’s wrestling, with the exception of Stardom. With Toni Storm comfortably on top, I don’t see the world championship being taken away from her anytime soon. And while I could be wrong about Mercedes Mone NOT winning the Owen Hart Tournament, I get the feeling that Jamie Hayter is going to end up as the victor in their Double or Nothing finals. An Athena/Mercedes TBS Championship match at All In: Texas, in Athena’s home state, is something I don’t think TK will pass up.
Besides, Mercedes just lost the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship to AZM in a three-way match with Mina Shirakawa. Four belts Mone is now three belts Mone.
Let’s take a look at a current heap of talent in AEW right now in the women’s division, including those confirmed to be *on the way.
Toni Storm | Mercedes Mone | Jamie Hayter | Kris Statlander | Willow Nightingale | Megan Bayne | Mariah May | *Mina Shirakawa (will be on AEW TV Wednesday) | Thunder Rosa | Athena | Anna Jay | Harley Cameron | Thekla (confirmed signing) | Julia Hart | Skye Blue | Deonna Purrazzo | Taya Valkyrie | Marina Shafir | Riho | Yuka Sakazaki | Billie Starkz | Serena Deeb | Queen Aminata | Penelope Ford | Hikaru Shida (away in Japan renewing her visa)
…and let’s not forget Britt Baker — also away on personal commitments.
–
Guys, this roster is stacked, and I didn’t even cover everyone. You’re telling me there isn’t enough to create a women’s tag team division with that? The talent is there. Don’t kid yourselves.
Furthermore, a few tag teams are already being teased…
–
Reason #2 | Teams Are Forming/Being Teased
Yes, that is Mariah May (below) about a week ago teasing a reunion with Mina Shirakawa. They were tag team champions in Stardom, after all. In addition, we may (logically) assume that with Marina Shafir’s recent Instagram photo teasing the idea of Shayna Baszler to AEW, they might be brewing up a future reunion as well. Even furthermore, the feud between Willow Nightingale and Marina Shafir has boiled over into Willow’s most recent match on Collision with Kris Statlander. Are we setting up Marina/Shayna vs. Willow/Kris at All In: Texas? It’s believed that Shayna’s contract simply expired, meaning she’s free to sign anywhere without a 30-day or 90-day no compete clause.
Skye Blue is also returning on Wednesday to face Toni Storm in a 4-way with AZM and Mina. If you recall, she has an established alliance with Julia Hart.
There’s four tag teams right there. But that doesn’t get into even more current alliances: T&A (Harley Cameron and Anna Jay), are in a short feud with Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford, whom have been teaming up as of late. Athena and Billie Starkz have a long-time partnership, and I don’t see why Diamante and Kiera Hogan couldn’t be penciled in here as well.
So if we run down what a logical tag division looks like, we potentially get:
-Mariah May/Mina Shirakawa (Rose Gold)
-Kris Statlander/Willow Nightingale
-Skye Blue/Julia Hart
-Athena/Billie Starkz (M.I.T.)
-Megan Bayne/Penelope
-Harley Cameron/Anna Jay (T&A)
-Riho/Yuka (your token Joshi team, but it works)
-Diamante/Kiera Hogan (Fire & Ice)
And this doesn’t cover a possible Shafir/Baszler reunion, or even a Dakota Kai/Ruby Soho reunion, as they were tag team champions in SHIMMER (known as Evie/Heidi Lovelace).
Though I doubt Kai would want to sign with AEW just to go to the tag division, and who knows when Ruby is coming back from maternity leave.
A Future Women’s Main Event/Mid-Card Outlook
And most importantly, we haven’t taken anything away from the main event/mid-card picture. Storm, Hayter, Mercedes, Rosa, Thekla, Shida, Baker, Kamille (yes, she is still under contract and confirmed to be coming back soon), and possibly more on the way? NXT releases only have a 30-day no compete clause, meaning Priscilla Kelly (Gigi Dolan) and Elayna Black (Cora Jade) could be freed up sooner than later. And for those who are curious, Priscilla Kelly and Darby Allin are on good terms, at least according to reports shortly after their 2020 divorce.
And will we see Dakota Kai/Evie in AEW? It’s not impossible. Will we see Shotzi in AEW? Also not impossible, though it seems like she’s headed to MLW based on recent teases.
Point being, they have enough talent to keep the main event/mid-card side of the women’s division going, even with talent being utilized for the tag team division.
This can work.
–
Reason #3 | The Trios Championships Are Not Working
Let’s face it: Nobody really cares about the Trios Championships anymore. I didn’t personally care when the Death Riders held them, and no real engaging feuds/angles were formed while they had them. Now we have a random trio of Joe/Shibata/Hobbs holding them, again, with no real feud/future in sight.
There is simply no direction with these titles.
Aside from your two world titles, the TNT championship seemingly has a direction with Adam Cole now. The Hurt Syndicate clearly are doing great things with their current run as tag champs. Mercedes Mone is still playing belt collector. Every current champion is either in a story with the championships, or at the least, making them feel important simply by who is holding them.
Meanwhile, we have a roster full of hungry and talented women that are slowly becoming staples on AEW television.
Could we just replace the time given to the Trios Championships with new Women’s Tag Team Championships?
Yes. And we should.
No disrespect to Hobbs or Shibata — but it’s just not working.
–
Reason #4 | WWE’s Women’s Tag Division is Weakened
Don’t take my word for it — or ChatGPT’s. With the recent slew of releases, it seems like the women’s tag division is a bit weakened. And seriously, as someone who doesn’t watch WWE — please do not take my word for it. But it seems to be the consensus per SquaredCircle on Reddit (linked below).
https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/1kdmhhl/the_wwe_womens_tag_team_division_is_over/
However, if this is the case, it gives Khan and AEW ample opportunity to fill the gap. Why not be the alternative with the “better” women’s tag team division? This is fundamental business. If you can do something better than your competitor — especially if it hides some negatives — do it.
You know, “accentuate the positives, hide the negatives.”
AEW has a deep women’s roster. It’s a positive you want to accentuate. AEW may not have half a dozen Toni Storms, but they do have a very deep and talented women’s roster. What they lose in star-power compared to their rivals, they gain in their much deeper bench. Do you see what the Knicks are doing right now to the Celtics? Follow their lead…
–
Reason #5 | Everyone is Ready – The Demand is There
It’s not just me. Plenty of AEW fans really, really, really want these championships to come into existence. We’ve been fantasy booking this in our heads for years now. And yes, there is room for it on the shows, especially if the championships mostly live on Collision. Khan has been normalizing two women’s matches per week on Collision as is in 2025. Simply replacing one of those matches with women’s tag team title feuds isn’t a stretch at all.
Once the Death Riders story (finally) comes to an end, there should be extra time that can be given to a division like this. This gives the potential to make these titles seem like a big deal headed into the summer/fall timeframe.
And besides, what does TK have to lose?
A lot of AEW talent has left the company recently. Starks, Lucha Bros, Black, Miro, and plenty more likely to come. Danhausen is in his contract year, and I don’t see why Tony would renew his contract (if he even would want to stay in AEW). While the roster is still notably large, there seems to be a focus on specific talents lately on Dynamite and Collision to carve out the company’s identity. So while AEW is cementing who your top and featured players are in the company, they still have a boatload of women’s talent that needs something to do.
And with how over Toni Storm is, now is the perfect time. I would even have Storm somehow involved in the crowning of the first tag team champions, even if she wouldn’t compete for them.
It’s the perfect time for this — it’s the perfect roster for it — and the fans are craving it. If AEW’s identity is becoming more and more “sports-based”, with the focus to be a sort of amalgamation of the spiritual versions of ECW/NJPW/AJWPW/CHIKARA (but for a mainstream audience) — why not lean into becoming the prime place to be for women’s wrestling as well?
The time to create an AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship is now; more than ever. And yes, it would work.
-TKW
mocwrestling@yahoo.com