A major All Elite Wrestling championship was reportedly due to change hands at the upcoming All Out pay-per-view, but creative changes and injury ruined these plans.
The AEW Women’s World Championship was due to be on the line at the company’s All Out event, with Thunder Rosa slated to defend the title against her ThunderStorm partner Toni Storm. This would mark Storm’s second crack at the championship after an unsuccessful jaunt at Forbidden Door.
Instead, Toni will now face Hikaru Shida, Britt Baker, and Jamie Hayter to crown an interim Women’s World Champion. The news was confirmed following Wednesday’s Dynamite, where Thunder Rosa declared herself unable to compete through injury. Per Fightful Select, Toni Storm was originally scheduled to win the championship from Rosa.
It’s unknown what, exactly, AEW’s current plans are for the interim championship. Both Baker and Shida are former champions, enjoying lengthy reigns. Storm, therefore, seems to still be the best bet to crown champion, while Hayter provides a left-field option.
The championship will mark AEW’s third interim reign of 2022. Both the World and TNT Championships saw temporary champions crowned in Jon Moxley and Sammy Guevara, respectively; both ‘The Death Rider’ and ‘The Spanish God’ became the official champions in their unification contests.
Fans can watch AEW All Out via Bleacher Report (United States only) and Fite TV on 4 September.