Saraya Loses AEW Women’s World Championship in Shocking Fashion on Dynamite

Hikaru Shida has become the first three-time Women’s World Champion in AEW history.

The special “Title Tuesday” edition of AEW Dynamite has certainly lived up to its name. Not only have there been multiple matches on the card where a championship was up for grabs, two titles actually changed hands, going back to former champions. It started with Orange Cassidy, replacing an apparently injured Jon Moxley, defeating Ray Fenix to win back the AEW International Championship. An hour later, it was the AEW Women’s World Championship changing hands.

Saraya won the women’s title in London at AEW’s All In event, but her reign didn’t last long. She faced Hikaru Shida for that title on Tuesday night and, to the surprise of many, lost to the Ace. Shida won the match to become the first three-time Women’s World Champion in AEW’s history.

A big reason for Saraya’s loss could be the loss of “Timeless” Toni Storm as part of her Outcasts crew. Ruby Soho attempted to spray Shida during the match, but the attempt was thwarted and Toni ran in to attack Ruby with her shoe. This kept Ruby Soho from being any sort of factor in the match, leaving Saraya without any ringside help. One on one, Shida took the opportunity to pin Saraya and win the title for the third time.

The month of October began with AEW WrestleDream, a pay-per-view dedicated to the late Antonio Inoki. Ahead of the event, Khan used a commercial to talk up WrestleDream, saying it would be the beginning of a “new era” for his company.

“Next Sunday, October 1, it’ll be one of the greatest nights in wrestling, with every match capable of stealing the show and a card befitting the legacy of a kingdom that has touched every one of us,” Khan said. “AEW and the world of pro wrestling will converge as the greatest champions and rivalries in this sport will take center stage live on pay-per-view. At AEW WrestleDream next Sunday, we will pay tribute to the dreamer who made this all possible, the late great Antonio Inoki, with an event one year in the making. You won’t want to miss AEW WrestleDream as we’ll end a chapter in wrestling history and begin a new era in AEW live on pay-per-view next Sunday night, October 1.”