AEW has confirmed that there will be four Women’s division bouts for this week’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation on YouTube.

The matches that have been announced for Monday’s show are as follows:

• Thunder Rosa vs. Alex Gracia
• Penelope Ford (with Kip Sabian and Miro) vs. Leila Grey
• Leyla Hirsch vs. Vipress
• KiLynn King vs. Ryo Mizunami.

The other matches that have already been confirmed for the show are as follows:

• Rex Lawless & Milk Chocolate v Gunn Club
• D3 & Vary Morales v 5 & 10 of Dark Order
• Chandler Hopkins v Joey Janela
• Frankie Kazarian v Danny Limelight
• Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor vs. Ryan Nemeth and JD Drake
• Jon Moxley vs. Bill Collier

Frankie Kazarian will be facing Christian Cage in Captain Charisma’s debut AEW match this week on Dynamite. Kazarian invited Cage to watch his match against the now confirmed Danny Limelight from ringside for Monday night’s show.

AEW Dark: Elevation is available to stream at 7 pm ET on AEW’s official YouTube channel.

Thunder Rosa defeated Britt Baker in a Lights Out match to headline last week’s edition of AEW Dynamite. Rosa was the guest this week on the AEW Unrestricted podcast with Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards. Amongst other topics, Rosa spoke about the response she received backstage after her match with Baker last week.

“It’s one of those moments where you cannot fake it,” said Rosa “I was already crying at the end of the match because of all the things that I felt and all the things I’ve been through in the last 7 months. Just coming to a new place and knowing that you are ruffling some feathers and you know that you have to work really hard to show that you are one of the best talents and that’s why they brought you here.”

Backstage Ovation

When Rosa began speaking about the response she received backstage, she got choked up.

“Just walking through and seeing absolutely everybody clapping is that moment that I just want to recall it for the rest of my life until I die.”

“I’ve worked so hard, so hard to get recognized and still working so hard to keep this spot and just that moment right here, if I die tomorrow, I’ll die happy because I know we made a difference on Wednesday.”

Listen to Thunder Rosa on AEW Unrestricted here or in the player embedded below:

The bloody Lights Out match between Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker closed out last night’s special St. Patrick’s Day Slam edition of AEW Dynamite. Following the match, Tony Khan took to Twitter to comment on the bout.

“What a great main event, thank you to everyone who joined us tonight for the Lights Out Match, Thunder Rosa vs. Dr. Britt Baker, the culmination of a classic rivalry as a 4 month story paid off in one of the greatest & most memorable main event matches ever on AEW Dynamite!” Khan Tweeted.

Thunder Rosa also took to Twitter following her match with Britt Baker last night.

“My goal in life has always been to champion things for those women who don’t belong, who are ostracized and criticized, for those who are push aside and not taken serious. This win was bigger than me. It was for you! Never allowed anyone to tell you don’t belong…” Rosa Tweeted.

Britt Baker also took to Twitter following last night’s main event.

AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida also commented on the show. She referred to recent comments she made to SI.com about the division being able to carry the show. Shida defeated Rosa at the All Out PPV last September.

“The Question Mark” Joseph Hudson (aka Jocephus) passed away suddenly recently. He had been a big part of the NWA’s revival under Billy Corgan. Hudson debuted the Question Mark character as the promotion began filming studio shows for NWA Powerrr. Former NWA Women’s Champion, Thunder Rosa, paid tribute to the man this weekend at an independent show.

Rosa took to Twitter to share photos of her making her ring entrance in Mongrovian style.

When Is The NWA Returning?

Shortly after the onset of the pandemic, the NWA was forced to cancel its scheduled “Crockett Cup 2020” show. They have not run any events since. The promotion recently removed all its content from its YouTube page, leading some to fear the worse.

“Friends, I don’t know what’s going on with the NWA YouTube page, please stop asking. Thank you,’ Tweeted Dave Marquez.

Dave Meltzer noted on the Wrestling Observer message board that he has heard a positive announcement is coming soon, however.

 “I was told it will be something announced in the next few days which is a good thing. Would not have to do with AEW,” Meltzer wrote.

Thunder Rosa will face Riho on AEW Dynamite this week in the 2nd round of the Women’s title-eliminator tournament.

AEW has announced that a special featuring the women’s title eliminator tournament match will be broadcasted on Bleacher Report for free.

President Tony Khan announced that the match between Thunder Rosa and Riho as part of the US semi-finals will air for free on Sunday, February 28. Khan tweeted, “The #AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament USA semifinal bout featuring former AEW Women’s World Champion Riho vs. former NWA Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa streams on Bleacher Report on February 28th on a free Sunday Special, one week before Revolution PPV!”

It should be noted that Bleacher Report is available worldwide as opposed to BR Live, which is the only available in the US. Khan noted that streaming on Bleacher Report will provide great exposure of AEW to non-fans via Bleacher Report’s 9.4 million Twitter followers along with 14.8 million Instagram followers.

Thunder Rosa won against Leyla Hirsch in the US quarterfinal round on the February 10 edition of AEW Dynamite, while Riho defeated Serena Deeb on last week’s episode. Four matches from the Japanese bracket have been aired on YouTube.

Four more matches will be broadcasted via YouTube on Monday, February 22: Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose and Dr. Britt Baker vs. Anna Jay of the US bracket, along with Yuka Sakazaki vs. Emi Sakura and Ryo Mizunami vs. Aja Kong of the Japanese bracket.

The winners from the remaining US quarterfinals will face each other on the February 24 episode of Dynamite. The emerging winner will then face the winner of the Thunder Rosa vs. Riho match on March 1. Finally, the finalists from the US and Japan brackets will have a match on the March 3 episode of Dynamite. The winner will get to face Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s Championship on March 7 at the Revolution PPV.

The matches and the storylines booked for the female wrestlers of AEW have attracted their fair share of praises as well as criticisms. However, the role of Kenny Omega in the changing scenario of AEW’s women’s division cannot be denied.

In a recent interview with Scott Fishman of TVInsider, the AEW World Champion discussed working the creative side of the business behind the scenes, including charting the course for the AEW women’s division.

“I think we are taking baby steps,” Kenny Omega said. “We have hungry performers who are passionate about getting a chance to do their best. Passion speaks to me more than the performance of a maneuver, and right now, our women are really chomping at the bit to get these TV spots.”

Kenny Omega Praises the Women of AEW

Kenny Omega did not miss out on heaping praise on the women of AEW, and he is confident that the company will soon reach the place where the female roster gets as much screen time and opportunities as their male counterpart.

“They’re all training hard. Our roster keeps getting better. [No one has] lost their passion. They are still striving for that big goal, which is for the women’s division to get more time. I’ll have the biggest smile on my face the day we get it. I know we will.”

For a long time the AEW women’s division has been subject to criticism due to poor booking and minuscule screen time. However, wrestlers like Britt Baker, Serena Deeb, Thunder Rosa, Hikaru Shida, and others have proven time and again that they are more than capable of putting on entertaining matches and storylines if given the opportunity.

Kenny Omega also talked about his experience of working with IMPACT Wrestling and how exciting it is to have ‘blown open the doors’ between pro wrestling competitors.

• AEW Announces Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament

You can read the full Kenny Omega interview at TVInsider.

NWA Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa has talked about her future in All Elite Wrestling during an interview with SportsKeeda.

Thunder Rosa spoke candidly about her experience in AEW to date despite being under contract with the National Wrestling Alliance. She revealed how she began working for AEW after AEW President Tony Khan agreed with NWA owner Billy Corgan. This deal allowed Thunder Rosa to appear on AEW Dynamite in a winning effort against Serena Deeb on the 9/2 episode of Dynamite. She would also face off against AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida at the promotion’s recent pay-per-view, All Out.

“The working relationship is there, I’m returning, I wasn’t expecting to return so quickly. Yes, I think Billy [Corgan] and Tony [Khan] have been talking. They are very happy with my performance so far,” Rosa said. “I hope, knock on wood, it continues. It’s going well for me. We are putting NWA name on a broader platform, which is the goal at the end of the day.”

Thunder Rosa competed on last night’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT. She defeated Ivelisse. The fallout of the match saw Shida assisting Rosa as she was assaulted by both Ivelisse and Diamante. The segment ended with Shida holding the NWA Women’s Championship before handing it back to Thunder Rosa.

Thunder Rosa has commented on the current state of All Elite Wrestling’s Women’s Division. The current NWA Women’s World Champion shared her thoughts with SportsKeeda, explaining how she believes AEW is on the “right track.”

She acknowledged how AEW is filled with a lot of young female talent. Rosa indicated how, due to their youth, they “don’t have experience of working TV shows.” She believes this is one of the main issues AEW’s Women’s Division faces.

“It will take time to build something strong. We shouldn’t be discrediting the effort the female wrestlers are putting in. Being a female performer, I can tell you from my own experience, it is hard. You are constantly competing with very talented men.”

Thunder Rosa highlighted certain women in AEW, including Red Velvet, Abadon, and Anna Jay. She noted how they are doing a great job at being “positive and supportive.” According to her, they are on the “right track to build up a strong women’s division.”

The NWA Women’s World Champion has appeared on AEW programming in recent weeks. She defeated Serena Deeb on the 9/2 episode of AEW Dynamite. Thunder Rosa would face off against AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida at the promotion’s recent All Out event. Despite her best efforts, Thunder Rosa lost to Shida in their Champion versus Champion clash.

Thunder Rosa wrestled Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s Championship Saturday night at All Out. Shida won champion versus champion match but Rosa had a solid performance nonetheless. Former NWA Women’s Champion, Allysin Kay, expressed frustration with Rosa for not winning on behalf of the NWA on the show. She took to Twitter to let her opinions on the subject be known.

Thunder Rosa also cleared up why her and Darby Allin have similar face paint:

Thunder Rosa vs Allysin Kay and NWA’s Weekly PPVs

• NWA Announces Weekly PPVs, Partnership With United Wrestling Network

The NWA returns on September 15th in conjunction with the United Wrestling Network. The NWA World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line the first show. Mike Bennett will challenge Nick Aldis for the gold.

“My goal here is simple: to provide the best contests possible with the greatest talent available, carrying on the great legacy of the National Wrestling Alliance as an independent governing body. And in that we hope to feature at least one championship match on every live broadcast,” said NWA Owner, Billy Corgan in a press release. 

“In my 30 years in both television production and promoting wrestling, this project will be the biggest of my career,” said UWN: Primetime LIVE Executive Producer David Marquez.

Although Thunder Rosa brought the fight to Hikaru Shida, she fell short in her attempt to become another champion. 

The battle between two women’s champions from two different promotions took place at Saturday’s (August 5, 2020) AEW All Out pay-per-view event in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. 

Shida put the AEW Women’s Title on the line against the NWA Women’s Champion. The style of both stars meshed and based on social media feedback, fans enjoyed the back and forth contest. Shida successfully retained the title. 

This match was set up back on the August 22nd episode of AEW Dynamite when Rosa appeared to issue the challenge for this contest at this show. This is where she stated that she wanted to bring the AEW women’s division some respect.

Fast forward to the following week, the match booking was confirmed. In fact, Rosa was seen in action in a singles match on this past Wednesday’s Dynamite edition. 

Rosa has worked for Lucha Underground, Ring of Honor, WOW, and other promotions during her career that has lasted six years thus far. This includes a 2019 MMA fight with Combate Americas.

• Top AEW Star To Be Out Of Action For Extended Time

As reported before, AEW President & CEO Tony Khan hosted a conference call earlier today with members of the pro wrestling media to promote Saturday’s All Out pay-per-view.

You can click here for Khan’s earlier comments on the Brock Lesnar/AEW rumors, which AEW PPV did better than WrestleMania 36, and more. Below are more highlights from the call:

* Khan revealed that there will be a live crowd at Britt Baker’s dentist office for the “Tooth & Nail” match against Big Swole on the All Out pre-show. The cinematic-style match was originally planned for the main card earlier this summer, but Baker hasn’t wrestled much in recent months and the change was made. He sees it as a big opportunity for both Swole and Baker, who we will see a lot more from in the next few months. He said while this will be a cinematic match, the actual pay-per-view will be wrestling-heavy and not storyline-heavy. Khan said the “Tooth & Nail” match will be great and it will be fun, and it will be free for everyone to enjoy.

* Khan said he would love to have Serena Deeb back after her match with NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa on Dynamite this week, adding that they both hit a home run. Deeb received rave reviews backstage, and he was proud of them for putting on a strong performance in the second hour position that the company trusted them with. He’s very excited about Rosa facing AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida at All Out on Saturday.

* There is not a working relationship between AEW and the NWA, past the good personal relationship he has with NWA Owner Billy Corgan. They have had a strong relationship for years, before Khan got into wrestling. Khan revealed that he was introduced to Corgan by another good friend – former WWE star Chris Nowinski of the Concussion Legacy Foundation. He talked more about Nowinski and how he respects his work, and had Nowinski come to speak to the AEW roster. He sees AEW and NWA as two different companies, but he wished Corgan the best with everything he’s doing. Regarding Rosa vs. Shida, he thinks this will be one of the best matches on the card and he thought the match maked sense for both promotions when it was pitched. He believes Rosa is the perfect contender for Shida at All Out, but it was Kenny Omega who first recommended Rosa for the match. Khan agreed, called Corgan and they made it happen.

* Khan said he, and everyone else in the company, are really missing PAC, who is still in the UK due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. He believes PAC’s absence has been a great opportunity for Eddie Kingston, who he sees as a good mouthpiece for The Lucha Bros, but also one who can fit well in other roles. While it’s unfortunate that PAC can’t be here right now, it means other wrestlers are able to step up, and they have been stepping up.

On Saturday’s edition of Dynamite, NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa appeared in a backstage interview. She challenged AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida and the match has been made official for All Out on September 5th.

Thunder Rosa’s appearance on Dynamite has some fans wondering what the relationship is between her and AEW. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, the deal for Thunder Rosa to wrestle on the AEW PPV was struck between Tony Khan and NWA owner Billy Corgan.

Unlike with recent AEW signee, Ricky Starks, Rosa is not leaving the NWA and has not signed with AEW. Rosa is still with the NWA and the NWA Women’s title is expected to be apart of the weekly NWA internet PPVs scheduled to begin next month.

“The deal with Thunder Rosa, the NWA women’s champion, challenging Hikaru Shida for the AEW title on the 9/5 PPV was a deal that Tony Khan worked out with Billy Corgan, so it’s not an indication of anything more and the NWA is still targeting a weekly iPPV schedule with FITE TV,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The NWA has announced a partnership with the United Wrestling Network. They will present weekly PPVs on Tuesday nights beginning September 15th.

• More on NWA’s New Weekly Pay-Per-View Events