The match that has been 9 months in the making. Dating back to the December 7th, 2022 episode of Dynamite. When Saraya’s second match ever in AEW was announced of her and a mystery partner of her choosing vs. Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter to take place on the January 11th Dynamite live from The Kia Forum, things were set in motion. Saraya in need of a partner found that between Hikaru Shida and Toni Storm. As we inched closer to The Kia Forum show, Saraya needed to make a decision on her partner.
Saraya decides to make her choice, and she picks Toni Storm during a sit down interview with Renee Paquette. Shida not too happy about the decision as she felt slighted and disrespected when Saraya barely acknowledged her during the decision. Shida not too broken up over it moves on and sticks around to aid Toni and Saraya against the trio of Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter and Rebel. January 11th rolls along and the tag match is going through just fine when Shida tries to intervene on behalf of Storm and Saraya and inadvertently tossed her signature kendo stick to Britt Baker, who then uses it, securing a victory for Jamie and her over Toni and Saraya.
Hikaru Shida seemingly feeling sorry about her actions costing them the match was dealt with nothing but disrespect and back handed comments. Writing off her botched attempt to intervene against Dr. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter as a mistake only “homegrown AEW girls” would make. Shida was instructed by Saraya to stay backstage While Toni Storm went one-on-one with Willow Nightingale, Shida not following orders makes her presence known at ringside with her signature kendo stick. At the end of the match, Saraya distracted Willow from the apron to allow Storm to secure the roll-up, pulling her tights and scoring the win. Saraya and Storm immediately beat down Nightingale, signifying their heel turn, until Ruby Soho ran down to make the save. Shida just remained neutral and did not pick a side.
After Shida had been scolded to remain in the back, She disappeared off for a bit, putting her story in this build on hold for a bit, dealing with an injury and other outside obligations that she normally has. During her time away, Ruby Soho joined alongside The Outcasts Toni Storm and Saraya. Forming a trio that would terrorize the AEW women’s division for months on end with post match beat downs and spray-painting the letter “L” on their opponents or just ruining their gear.
Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker were always in three on two situations against The Outcasts with interchangeable help between Skye Blue, Willow Nightingale and Riho on some occasions, but for some reason it was never enough help and The Outcasts always had their number. On the May 3rd episode of Dynamite, Saraya having her sixth pro wrestling match since her return was set to face the ever loveable Willow Nightingale. The match goes as expected, with The Outcasts interfering for their stablemate. Saraya able to steal a victory over Willow moved her up the rankings further for another chance at the AEW Women’s Championship.
After the match, The Outcasts would gang up on a defenseless Willow, who was all alone. When all of a sudden Hikaru Shida’s theme music plays to a loud ovation from the AEW crowd. A determined and returning Shida looking to exact revenge for the way she was treated months before heads down to the ring with her kendo stick in hand.
When all of a sudden hugs and embraces Toni Storm. Crowd shocked and confused, Shida is given the ever so coveted Outcasts spray paint. Shida about to spray the letter “L” on Willow as the trios has done the last four months, where we then see Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter come out from under the ring.
The two get in the ring as the Outcasts are distracted holding Willow up who are then confused as to why Shida is just staring at them when the trio turn around and are meet by Baker and Hayter who jump them alongside while Shida sprays paint into Saraya’s face. Baker, Hayter, and Shida all able to help Willow from getting The Outcast treatment were all united for a common good and that was to stop The Outcasts once and for all.
In the subsequent weeks, Hikaru Shida teams up with Dr Britt Baker DMD to build up their relationship too because both have the same goal in the end and that is to become two time AEW Women’s World Champion, but the only way to get that done was to stop The Outcasts. Jamie Hayter the fighting champion that she is, was heading into Double or Nothing with an arm injury that had occurred during a tag team match that involved The Outcasts.
It was where it was round two of Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm, the rematch from Full Gear 2022. Jamie Hayter went down swinging, as The Outcast shenanigans were not enough for Britt Baker and Shida to stop. The trio were able to put Jamie Hayter on the shelf and Toni Storm was able to capture the AEW Women’s Championship for a second time, being the first one to ever become the two time champion.
During the build of Double or Nothing, we saw the Outcast get involved in Chris Jericho’s feud with Adam Cole that saw Saraya destroy Britt Baker with a kendo stick after Britt tried to stop Jericho and the JAS from beating up Adam Cole. Following Double or Nothing, there was a mixed tag match scheduled with Britt Baker and Adam Cole vs. Chris Jericho and Saraya, which saw Baker and Cole win and go to their separate ways for now.
Toni Storm would go on to have five successful title defenses against the likes of Britt Baker, Taya Valkyrie, Skye Blue, Willow Nightingale, and Anna Jay. While she defended her belt, on the rise was Hikaru Shida’s stock. Hikaru was racking up wins at a rapid pace over talent such as Marina Shafir, Taya Valkyrie and Nyla Rose, who she defeated back at Double or Nothing 2020 to capture her first AEW Women’s Championship reign. The Nyla Rose match was the first of many that featured Hikaru Shida in the main event on Rampage and Dynamite during the entire month of July.
On the August 2nd 200th episode of Dynamite, Hikaru Shida was given another chance at gold after her strong streak of wins for the last month. The match was set, Toni Storm vs. Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Shida able to stop and thwart all Outcast outside tomfoolery, Shida was successful in capturing the championship and becoming two time Women’s World Champion. This was Hikaru’s third main event in a row in for three straight weeks. Standing tall to close out the biggest show for AEW with its big milestone of 200 episodes of Dynamite.
The following week, it was announced that a small tournament would be held to determine who would be in the women’s fatal four-way at All In for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Toni Storm received a bye in the tournament and had her ticket punched in for the biggest show in history.
Shida had to defend her championship against Anna Jay to determine who would advance to the four-way, Shida was successful in her defense and advanced. Saraya defeated Sky Blue to advance and lastly Dr Britt Baker, DMD defeating The Bunny, was the last to advance to round out the fatal four-way.
Following the end of the tournament on an episode of Rampage on August 18th, the following tag match took place, of Hikaru Shida and Skye Blue facing Storm and Soho which saw Shida main event her fifth show in a span of a month, the four women involved in the four way would close out the show where security was needed to separate all four women during a major brawl.
The four women would meet one last time together in the ring before All In during a tag match on the final Rampage before All In. Shida and Baker had been successful earlier in the year teaming together, but on this night they couldn’t stop The Outcast shenanigans. The team of Saraya and Toni Storm were able to prove why they are the team they are because of the chemistry they have formed.
The spray paint being used to blind Shida and having Shida inadvertently hit her partner Baker because she was blinded, allowing Saraya to score the pin fall on Britt Baker. Storm and Saraya celebrate as they both hold up the AEW Women’s World Championship together. Will this be the scene at All In after the women’s four-way?
All four women are set to have the biggest showcase match for the coveted AEW Women’s World Championship at the biggest show in company history. With the call back to the original fatal four-way match that took place at the original All In back in 2018 that also featured Dr Britt Baker DMD, it comes full circle this Sunday for all four women that have been intertwined together for the better part of 9 months.
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