Willow Nightingale Wins TBS Championship, Faces Down Mercedes Mone At AEW Dynasty
Willow Nightingale defeated Julia Hart for the TBS Championship at AEW Dynasty, ending Harts 155-day reign. Hart entered the bout with a ton of speculation behind her after an injury scare during the April 12 episode of "AEW Rampage," during which she appeared to injure her shoulder, and that speculation was fueled by the title bout was removed from major betting platforms ahead of Dynasty on Sunday night. Hart did in fact defend her title as planned, although the match was fairly one-sided in Nightingale's favor and ended after just six minutes of action. Afterward, No. 1 contender Mercedes Mone confronted Nightingale in the ring, though their confrontation ended without violence.
Nightingale is now just the fourth champion in the title's history, cementing her name alongside the likes of her partner Kris Statlander and current WWE star Jade Cargill. She will also go on to defend the title against Mercedes Mone at AEW Double or Nothing to renew their rivalry from last year. Nightingale previously captured the NJPW STRONG Women's Openweight Championship in a tournament final against Mone to inaugurate the belt. Mone had been expected to win the title but sustained an ankle injury mid-match which had kept her out of action until her AEW debut earlier this year.