Toni Storm vs Hikaru Shida

For the AEW Interim World Championship

This match was booked as two friends in healthy competition. Match opens with a handshake. Good duelling “Let’s go Shida! Let’s go Toni!” chants from the crowd.

The match starts as a solid back and forth in the ring of skill and technical ability but Toni opens up the aggression by decking Shida to the apron and then Hip Attacking her through the ropes to the floor. During PIP, Toni definitely picks up the aggression by running Shida’s back into the corner of the ring and some hair tosses in the ring. The duelling chants keep going pretty solidly from the crowd. Toni kicks Shida a couple times when down and the Shida faction of fans let their displeasure be known.

Shida battles back as we return from break with strikes and a jumping knee. Shida hits the 10 punches in the corner and a dropkick off the top turnbuckle for two. Excalibur and Taz put over how competitors who are friends can bring out the best in each other. Shida blocks an attempt at a Storm Zero off the middle turnbuckle and turns it into a Meteroa for two. Storm ducks the Venus shoot, hits a release German Suplex onto Shida in the corner and then hits her with a Hip Attack.

Both women start exchanging very strong looking pin combination attempts but only get two. Storm grabs a headlock and hits a Spinning DDT and then Storm Zero for the win!

Excellent match. Perhaps didn’t have as much heat as you’d like given that it was two babyfaces and we had Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter give a promo right before the match kind of telegraphing what was coming and sure enough, Britt, Jamie and Rebel attack after the match. Saraya comes out and battles Baker into the stands. Rebel lines up Toni with her crutch in the ring. But wait! What’s that music? IT’S MOTHERFUCKING RIHO!!! She comes in, cleans house, greets Toni Storm with a hug. Great to see Riho back. I always wonder how long she’ll actually be around for because she (and Yuka Sakazaki) always feel like part-timers in AEW but I’ll take what I can get!