Thekla overcame the odds to extend her reign as AEW Women’s World Champion on Sunday night.
The Austrian star won a four-way match as part of this weekend’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view card, beating Kris Statlander, Hikaru Shida, and Jamie Hayter in a 14-minute performance.
While Statlander was seemingly closing in on a finish against the champ late, connecting with a Saturday Night Fever, the pin was stopped by Shida, who cracked a kendo stick over her back. Statlander and Shida had entered the match as friends but saw that alliance break down partway through the match.
After Shida and Hayter took eachother out with clotheslines in the ringside area, it came down to just Thekla and Statlander. Thekla was able to put an end to the match with a Curbstomp, scoring the pinfall victory.
Thekla’s title reign started back in February, when she ended Kris Statlander’s title run by winning a Strap Match on Dynamite. She has defended the title five times after that showing, including another win over Statlander and a meeting at Dynasty against Jamie Hayter.
A win for Hayter would’ve kick-started her first AEW title reign in nearly three years.
Shida, who returned to AEW programming just recently, was attempting to kick-start her fourth run with the brand’s top women’s title. Toni Storm remains the sole woman who has put together four separate reigns as AEW Women’s World Champion.
