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AEW has received several accolades for their ability to tell stories in the ring, their promos, and the all enticing athleticism. The women's division, however, hasn't received the same kind of attention. If anything, it has been the opposite.
That's not to say that AEW is ignoring the women they have on the roster. It's quite the opposite. People like Dustin Rhodes, Awesome Kong, and Kenny Omega have actually helped as agents for the matches. In an interview with WON,Omega said that there will be interesting and exciting things happening in the division in 2020. He said, (H/T belltobelles)
"We haven’t been able to focus on women as much as I’d like. Some of it has been availability. We have girls signed and hopping on board. I hate to say ‘wait til 2020,’ but I can safely say in 2020 there are going to be interesting and exciting signings that will shake up the division. As soon as we have a women’s tag division, that will balance (things) more and give the women more of a stage. Once there’s that ‘thing’ for them to fight for, you’re going to see more time devoted per episode for the women.”
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From the sound of it, AEW is fully aware that their women's division is not on the level of the talent available in WWE and NXT. That's an unfair comparison, due to AEW being a brand new promotion that was initially sold on wrestlers that were mostly men. Despite that, Omega is quite clear that they want to integrate the women as part of the heart and soul of AEW.
AEW has recently started to sign new women to the promotions. Here are the 4 latest women signed to the promotion.
#4 Shanna
Shanna is a Portuguese wrestler who has been wrestling the last few years for organizations such as Kamikaze Pro, German Wrestling Federation, Pro-Wrestling: EVE, and Impact Wrestling.
Her recent appearances on AEW Dynamite led executives to sign her to a deal. She brings experience to the table and right now, she's engaged in a feud with Nyla Rose which will not only enhance her status but Nyla's as well.
#3 Melanie Cruise
While some wrestling fans may not know who Melanie Cruise is, the good news is that she has been on the pro wrestling circuit for almost 10 years. She has wrestled for organizations such as POWWW Entertainment, Shimmer Women Athletes, Supreme Wrestling Entertainment, the defunct Global Force Wrestling (GFW) and now AEW.
Standing at 6 feet tall, she will certainly be a force to reckon with in the women's division. There is no doubting her experience, as she has wrestled the likes of Asuka, Tukishi, Shayna Baszler and Nikki St. John. She has also been involved in intergender wrestling.
When she debuted on AEW Dynamite as a "fan", it was quite obvious that no one knew who this was. But perhaps, that was the allure of the moment. Brandi Rhodes shaving her head so that she would join the Nightmare Collective is interesting. With reports that Awesome Kong's in-ring ability is now limited, it makes sense to add another big woman to the roster.
She's bigger than both Awesome Kong and Nyla Rose and could be the definitive monster for the future of the women's division. She could also form a tag team with Kong down the line.
#2 Big Swole
This was perhaps the most interesting signing of the bunch. Big Swole is a welcome addition to the women's roster, having made her debut at All Out in the Women's Casino Battle Royale. At the time, she was not signed to a contract, but her performances on AEW Dark convinced AEW officials to offer her one on the spot.
Big Swole has been wrestling since 2015 and has made appearances for Queens of Combat, SHINE Wrestling, SHIMMER Women's Athletes and has appeared in WWE on a couple of occasions.
She wrestled on AEW Dark recently and her promo skills were on full display. Swole is able to capture the camera's attention and put on a wonderful display of athleticism inside the squared circle. It was her match with Shanna on AEW Dark that got her that AEW contract. She was also on a recent episode of Being The Elite.
Big Swole is all set to make her AEW Dynamite debut on December 9, when she takes on Emi Sakura in Garland, Texas.
Perhaps it's only a matter of time until this pocket-sized Hercules finds herself in the Championship picture.
#1 Kris Statlander
Kris Statlander is one of the most exciting additions to the AEW roster yet. She has the height, the look, and recently proved on AEW Dynamite that she has the ability to go one on one with the best. It seems clear that AEW is setting her up for big things, as she shockingly defeated Hikaru Shida on AEW Dynamite and is now 5th in the rankings for the women's division.
So who is Kris Statlander? While her in-ring career has been relatively short, she has wrestled for Limitless Wrestling, Beyond Wrestling, and has even wrestled the likes of Nick Gage and AR Fox in an intergender matches. WWE was interested in bringing her in as well, but she chose to go with AEW.
In a surprising twist of fate, WWE was negotiating with her and were under the impression that she would start in January. During that time, Statlander was booked by AEW, and the contract sent by WWE never reached her.
Standing at 5'9", she is another member of the roster to add variety into the mix. The women's division needs to continue growing in order for AEW to be successful. Considering her shock win, AEW may want to build over time and set her for big things.
