Saraya Wins AEW Women's Title vs. Shida, Britt Baker, Toni Storm at All In 2023
August 27, 2023
In a clash between four of the top women's wrestlers in AEW, Saraya beat Hikaru Shida, Britt Baker and Toni Storm to win the AEW Women's World Championship at All In on Sunday.
Saraya got the win in her home country by pinning her fellow Outcasts mate Toni Storm after hitting her with the Night Cap.
To cap off the emotional win, Saraya celebrated in the ring with her family. It's the first title she has held since winning the WWE Divas championship in 2014.
All Elite Wrestling @AEW<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AndNEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AndNEW</a>!!!<br>The NEW <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a> Women's World Champion is SARAYA!<br><br>Order <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWAllIn?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWAllIn</a> LIVE on PPV right now!<br>🇺🇸: <a href="https://t.co/mUn4tim61a">https://t.co/mUn4tim61a</a><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/p1Cr3Sb7zg">https://t.co/p1Cr3Sb7zg</a><a href="https://twitter.com/Saraya?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Saraya</a> <a href="https://t.co/VCuOmhvVFE">pic.twitter.com/VCuOmhvVFE</a>
Baker and Shida were fighting for position with the D.M.D. trying to put the champ in the Lockjaw when Saraya got the pin.
There was plenty of dissension within the Outcasts early in the match. Saraya and Storm were arguing when each kept trying to pin Baker. They eventually started trading blows, which brought Ruby Soho out in an attempt to calm things down, but Storm knocked her out of the equation with a punch.
All Elite Wrestling @AEWThere is SO MUCH to process right now!<br><br>Order <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWAllIn?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWAllIn</a> LIVE on PPV!<br>🇺🇸: <a href="https://t.co/mUn4tim61a">https://t.co/mUn4tim61a</a><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/p1Cr3Sb7zg">https://t.co/p1Cr3Sb7zg</a><a href="https://twitter.com/shidahikaru?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shidahikaru</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ToniStorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ToniStorm</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Saraya?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Saraya</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/RealBrittBaker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realbrittbaker</a> <a href="https://t.co/bjqroAKquU">pic.twitter.com/bjqroAKquU</a>
The stage was set for Sunday's bout at Wembley Stadium in London on the 200th episode of Dynamite earlier this month when Shida beat Storm to become only the second two-time women's champion in AEW history.
With that, the build toward All In began, and a unique tournament was held to determine who would face Shida for the title.
Storm was given an automatic rematch after dropping the championship to Shida, and two other spots were then put up for grabs to make the AEW Women's World Championship match at All In a four-way.
Saraya defeated Skye Blue in the first qualifier on Rampage, and Baker then defeated The Bunny in the other qualifying match on a recent episode of Dynamite.
Shida, Storm and Baker entered All In as either current or former champions, while Saraya is the most accomplished wrestler among them despite having yet to win the AEW women's world title ahead of All In.
Saraya wrestled her first match in 2005 at the age of 13, and by 2011, she signed a contract with WWE and began wrestling under the name Paige.
She was a two-time Divas champion and one-time NXT women's champion in WWE, and while neck injuries forced her into retirement in 2018, Saraya returned to in-ring action upon signing with AEW last year.
Sunday's match was significant for Saraya since she is from Norwich, England, and said it had been seven or eight years since she last wrestled in her home country.
That made Saraya a sentimental favorite among the fans at All In despite her status as a heel, and she whipped the crowd into a frenzy by becoming the AEW women's world champion for the first time.
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