00:13This next match is the 4-1 ball and new winner will challenge for the AEW Women's World
00:19title at WrestleMania. From Vienna, Austria, the top six, fighter, Tekla!
00:34Nigel, as we headed to this match, some very interesting quotes from Tekla. She told the
00:40New York Post, sometimes I just black out and I go freestyle and it gets really interesting
00:45and could go sideways any minute. I'm just a little insane, you know. Well, I think we
00:51do know. I bet you tell TMZ about Robo, my plan is to break her other hand.
00:58Wow, she's certainly a character, no question about that. Tekla has the sort of attitude
01:05that is impossible to take your eyes off. A wrestling legend, Mick Foley, when he came
01:13here to AEW, he said, whenever he was watching AEW, whenever Tekla was on the screen, he would
01:19stop what he was doing immediately.
01:23What a hell of a character and what a hell of a champion.
01:28Huge stakes in this one as two former world champions face off.
01:35And her opponent from Long Island, New York,
01:49winner of this match will advance to face the current world champion, Mercedes-Benz Monáe
01:57at WrestleDream.
02:01And some interesting statistics, if you want them, not really, only one statistic that
02:05sticks in mind. And that is when Tekla was the world champion, it was Willow Nightingale
02:11that took the title from her.
02:15However, it was the injury to the left hand of Nightingale that arguably cost her the title
02:22at All-In against Mercedes-Benz Monáe. Lots of talk about fellas in this one.
02:28Absolutely, but
02:30now a very tentative start. Well, not for the
02:33toxic spider Tekla
02:35ducking underneath Willow Nightingale, but Willow,
02:37very quick hammer throw into the ropes. Tekla avoids the lariat, Tiharis.
02:42No, Willow
02:43stumbles forward. Tekla, though.
02:45Yeah, it didn't!
02:48Exact opposite of a tentative start. These
02:51these two are firing off at one another. Willow, the shoulder tackle.
02:56A lot of vitriol between these. Oh, jeez!
03:00Oh, that was nasty!
03:02Yeah, just clipped the shoulder. Tekla tried to roll out of the way, but was only halfway out of the
03:06way
03:06when the back and shoulder of Nightingale collided with her skull.
03:10Oh, wait a second, Willow.
03:11Looking for powerbomb early here. Tekla doing everything in her power to
03:15reverse it. Now, trying to pinfall two. Willow tilts, reverses.
03:22Back and forth they go. Tekla. Tekla exploded out, trying to get the deep hook around
03:28the calves of Willow, but Willow breaks free and lands up.
03:35Almost pounced all the way out of the ring!
03:39Great start for the affable comeback killer. Willow Nightingale wants to try to kill
03:47the entitled aspirations that the Toxic Spyler has here.
03:51Driving Tekla almost out under the bottom rope.
03:58Big time physicality here in the early stages of this match, Tony, but we know, we knew coming
04:04into this, that these two women want to be the ones to challenge Mercedes-Benz for the
04:11AEW Women's World Championship at WrestleDream this October.
04:14And Mercedes-Benz, of course, suffered that broken nose at Wembley.
04:19Recovery will be ready to go, and there's a cover.
04:23One leg is hooked. Tekla, though, escapes.
04:27And what do you make of Tekla's assertion that she's the only one who has the durability
04:31to hold the Women's World Championship?
04:35Well, I don't buy that at all.
04:37I mean, Mercedes-Benz is about as durable as you can find.
04:41She had to take some time off, though, for the broken nose.
04:44And certainly Nightingale has had some time off for injuries as well.
04:48The broken nose, and Mercedes, of course, suffered that very nearly career-ending leg injury
04:55in a match with Willow Nightingale years ago.
04:57Right.
04:57But right now, Willow up to the middle rope.
04:59Tekla, though!
05:01Willow hit very hard, as you can see.
05:04Tekla, right hand in the jaw of Willow, sent.
05:08Sent Nightingale crashing to the floor.
05:10Now, Tekla, oh, stomp!
05:13Across the spine!
05:18Making mark of Willow Nightingale as well.
05:23A malevolent smile across the jaws of Tekla.
05:29The Austrian native, oh!
05:32Tekla sent Willow.
05:34Into the barricade.
05:35It looked like a hip of Willow is what actually collided with the barricade.
05:43Disrespect being shown by the Toxic Spider, but no surprise there, Tony.
05:46No, that's the way she is.
05:48I mean, we've seen that ever since she first arrived at the AEW.
05:52Tekla giving Nightingale plenty of time on the outside to recover.
05:57As soon as Willow rolled back into the ring, Tekla was on the attack.
06:05And again, true fan favorite, certainly.
06:09But Tekla, though, surprisingly with her fair share of supporters here in Chicago.
06:13Tekla, oh, on the broken hand of Will Nightingale.
06:20One, two, three, four.
06:21Dude, like I said earlier, that's what Tekla said she would do to Willow.
06:25Look at Willow and her strength, even with a broken hand.
06:30Oh, Tekla, oh, attacking the fingers and Willow in agony.
06:35Yeah, she just shrieked out the Willow that time, Nigel.
06:39Nightingale had the opportunity.
06:41Now to the other hand.
06:44Trying to make good on her promise to break the good hand of Nightingale.
06:49Oh, we're good.
06:50Oh, we're good.
06:53Yeah!
06:55See now!
06:57Oh, watch this.
07:00Oh!
07:02Weesh!
07:03Willow has an uphill battle here, gentlemen.
07:06Big time uphill battle.
07:11Nightingale is known as the babe with the power bump needs to have a strong grip
07:17if she's going to be able to complete that.
07:22Great evasion from the toxic spider now.
07:26Really has arachnid qualities.
07:29Typically, Tekla opts to kick the side of the head,
07:33but there went to that broken left hand of Willow Nightingale.
07:37Come on, Vince, what are we going?
07:40Willow, though, you need her hand there,
07:43just lowered the shoulder and took Tekla off her feet.
07:45That's what she's got to do the rest of the way, Excalibur, I would think.
07:48Willow needs to just try to focus on other parts like that.
07:55Willow hands out of it.
07:56Right-hand lariat, and now the ropes dropkick takes Tekla down.
08:00Willow quick to look for a cover.
08:02Far leg is hooked, and Tekla escapes.
08:07Look on the face of Nightingale, though.
08:11It says it all.
08:13A little bit of concern, anxiety, and frustration.
08:17Certainly, as this match continues, it might start to look a lot like the match at all in where she
08:23lost the title.
08:25Willow, certainly if Tekla can focus on the injury.
08:29Willow sweeps out the legs, and now...
08:32Low relief, perhaps.
08:33Low relief, yes.
08:33Willow steps over.
08:35That's it.
08:36Boy, sits back.
08:39Perfect execution of this hold.
08:41But you notice, Willow, the hands aren't clasped, Nigel, due to the injury to that left hand of Willow.
08:46Well, smart point, actually.
08:47It may not look like a lot, but it certainly will take some of the leverage away, and perhaps that's
08:54why Tekla able to bridge up and through.
08:57Oh, Willow, the power bomb from the Texas Cloverleaf, an homage to the late-grade Andy Williams, the Butcher.
09:09Willow's been very public about how Andy was a very early supporter of hers.
09:16And now, Willow looking to press this advantage up to the top, maybe thinking moonsault, but Tekla rolls to the
09:24outside, out of the range of Nightingale.
09:26Not for very long.
09:27Oh, cannonballs off the apron.
09:31Tekla did not get far away enough.
09:35She staggered, she turned, and there you saw the cannonball.
09:39I understand a little bit of dazed and confused.
09:43Tekla thought she had enough space, but Nightingale is certainly determined to head to Orlando and get her title opportunity.
09:52But Willow, a slight delay in re-entering the ring, allowed Tekla to launch that boot in the face of
09:58Willow.
09:59I like how Willow's been able to fight through the pain through this.
10:03Let's see how much she can take.
10:07Tekla from the top, Diamond Crossbody to the floor.
10:12Stuck in a landing as well.
10:14Got all of it.
10:16Sometimes, if you're a little off-center and it's a glancing blow, you can hurt yourself more than your opponent.
10:21But just watch here, Nightingale taking the full impact there.
10:27Driven into the mat.
10:33Almost here, the wind driven from the lungs of Nightingale, who's now struggling, or perhaps not struggling, to get back
10:41on offense.
10:41Willow comes things around on Tekla.
10:43Elbow strikes being exchanged.
10:48Tekla, because of her stature, Nigel, is actually coming up underneath the jaw with her elbow strikes.
10:53But right now, Tekla, submission attempt of sorts from the outside, but no.
11:00Willow blindly just charged forward and very nearly took out the camera, but instead drove Tekla into the barricade.
11:06Boy, Tekla immediately, though, pops back up, holding the back.
11:11You know, you were talking about Tekla Excalibur striking up.
11:14She is such a great striker for a lady her size.
11:17Man, she just, a real, frenetic, aggressive style.
11:24She patterned in her native Austria, fighting in beer cellars, making her way to Japan.
11:30And she tore through the cute and cheerful Joshi.
11:34Oh, wait a second.
11:35Yeah, very nearly lost track of the referee's count.
11:40Stephon Smith very nearly counted both Tekla and Willow out.
11:45That would have been interesting, right?
11:46They might have got a three-way at WrestleDream.
11:50Who knows?
11:53Instead, one of these two women determined to get their opportunity.
12:00A very potent blow from Tekla.
12:03And now the stomp avoided by Willow.
12:07Willow.
12:09Death Valley driver.
12:11Far leg is hooked.
12:12Willow makes the cover.
12:14And Tekla, though, survives.
12:18The toxic spider is hurt.
12:22The mining out trying to squash any hopes.
12:28Tekla
12:30not
12:31getting back to her feet under her own power.
12:34Star-tying Willow looking to press this advantage.
12:36Yeah, and that she needs to do it right now because Tekla is hurting.
12:42Now, you see, Xalbert, she just kind of on her hands, leaning forward.
12:46You can tell that how hurt Tekla is right now.
12:50This morning gal got in mind.
12:52Tekla's legs are on the inside, which means no superplex attempt to it.
12:56Look, Tekla's just trying to elbow her way out of it and had nothing behind those elbow shots.
13:04Tekla hammering down with those elbows on the back of Willow's head.
13:07But Willow, using her left hand, her injured hand, for that body strike.
13:12And...
13:12Oh, the stomp to the hand!
13:15And you see, immediately, Willow kicking those legs.
13:20Nightingale just reflexively reaching up for the work with the left hand.
13:26Now...
13:26The spider is in her web.
13:31Nightingale walks into it.
13:33The spear from Tekla!
13:37The cover!
13:39Lateral press!
13:40Two!
13:41Willow, though, bridging up out of it!
13:45That's a defiance from Willow!
13:53Willow and Tekla!
14:00Willow!
14:01The Lariat misses, but the palm strikes did not kick from Tekla.
14:07Four-shot combination, but...
14:09Answers back with the Lariat!
14:11Little bit of added oops from the middle rope that time.
14:18Both former world champions now flat on the mat.
14:23Oh, wait a second.
14:25Julia Hart.
14:27Remember the triangle of madness?
14:30Alongside Tekla and Skye Blue.
14:32They were victorious earlier in the evening, Tony.
14:34Skye and Julia.
14:35And she has her...
14:37Trio title.
14:38Oh, Skye from behind!
14:40Skye from behind.
14:40Referee Stephon Smith didn't see it.
14:43You two, get out of the ring!
14:44She smashed the injured hand of Willow!
14:49Julia inadvertently striking Tekla.
14:52And now Julia sent to the outside.
14:55Now Willow can win it right now.
14:57Cover her!
14:58Willow, perhaps taking advantage!
15:00Two!
15:01No!
15:02Tekla!
15:03Wow.
15:03A narrow escape.
15:06And then Willow going over and hammering Skye Blue may have been a mistake.
15:11Well, Skye was arguing with referee Stephon Smith.
15:14Here it comes!
15:16With the powerbomb, but she did not have the grip strength through the injury to the hand.
15:19Good call.
15:20Said it earlier.
15:21I knew that was going to be a factor when she attempted it.
15:24That cheap shot from Skye Blue with the belt!
15:27Oh, the stop!
15:29Again, targeting the hand of Willow!
15:33She said she was going to try to break her other hand.
15:36Now she's going to work out...
15:37Oh, the back of the neck!
15:39Tekla!
15:42One, two, three!
15:44One, two, three!
15:46One, two, three!
15:48One, two, three!
15:48And the end of the world's foul shot at a wrestle tree!
15:52The toxic spider, Tekla!
15:57Well, the triangle of madness once again proved strength in numbers, Nigel.
16:03It could have gone both ways, though, to be fair.
16:06Could have cost Tekla as much as it cost Willow Nightingale.
16:11Ultimately, though, Tekla did not break the other hand, but she did take the title opportunity.
16:16Mercedes-Bene.
16:17There is nothing itsy-witsy about your opponent at WrestleDream.
16:22The former women's champion is coming for the gold again.
16:36Oh, the toxic spider celebration is short-lived.
16:44As this can mean only one thing.
16:46It will be the toxic spider, Tekla, challenging Mercedes-Bene for the AEW Women's World Champion.
16:58And the date has been set Saturday, October 17th.
17:05Our return to pay-per-view in Orlando, Florida, in the Edition Financial Arena.
17:10It will be the toxic spider, Tekla, challenging Mercedes-Bene for the AEW Women's World Champion.
17:16AEW Women's World Championship.
17:20You
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