Toni Storm To Defend AEW Women's World Title Against Hikaru Shida On 200th Dynamite
The 200th episode of "AEW Dynamite" will feature a title match between an AEW original and the company's current, reigning women's world champion.
Toni Storm will defend her AEW Women's World Title against Hikaru Shida on next week's show. The match was announced on Friday night's "Rampage," immediately after Shida defeated Nyla Rose.
In addition to the gold, a high-profile match at the biggest event in AEW's history – All In London at Wembley Stadium – will likely be hanging in the balance when Storm and Shida lock up on Wednesday night. It would be a homecoming of sorts for Storm, who rose to international prominence in the United Kingdom, where she won the PROGRESS Women's Championship in 2017 before signing on with WWE and becoming one of the centerpieces of the company's "NXT UK" brand starting in 2018.
Shida is looking for her second reign as AEW Women's World Champion. Her first lasted 372 days and carried the company's women's division through the trying times of empty arenas and limited attendances during the COVID-19 pandemic. She's well aware of the stark contrast of those days compared to performing in front of tens of thousands of fans.
"Former no-crowd champ will step into full housed Wembley stadium with her belt," Shida predicted in a tweet Friday night. "What a moment!!!!"