{"id":132607,"date":"2025-03-21T07:28:09","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T11:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=132607"},"modified":"2025-03-21T07:28:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T11:28:09","slug":"megan-bayne-toni-storm-aew-womens-world-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/03\/21\/megan-bayne-toni-storm-aew-womens-world-championship\/","title":{"rendered":"What If Megan Bayne Defeats \u201cTimeless\u201d Toni Storm for the AEW Women\u2019s World Championship?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">AEW is making a bold choice by having the ascending Megan Bayne step up to challenge \u201cTimeless\u201d Toni Storm for the AEW Women\u2019s World Championship. Yet, it plays into one of the division\u2019s most engrained tropes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Have you noticed how, early on, the new women\u2019s champion faces a \u201cmonster\u201d gatekeeper? Think Nyla Rose returning to take the L. Differently, Bayne\u2019s undefeated streak brings stakes to her challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, if Bayne loses, some might look at AEW\u2019s history of booking invincible heavyweights and draw short-sighted conclusions. Pigeon-holding Bayne as a gatekeeper to elevate others, like Brian Cage and Lance Archer, or labeling her \u201cmisused,\u201d like Kamille or Wardlow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It\u2019s an issue most promotions struggle with. <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/04\/04\/beyond-wrestlemania-40-wwe-utilize-jade-cargill\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE experienced the same booking difficulties as AEW with Jade Cargill<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Stagnation isn\u2019t uncommon. It does restrain our abilities as fans from investing emotionally in a wrestler. Nyla Rose could do more, but she <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">is slotted<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> into a position that makes it hard to believe she could win a championship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Compounding this problem is the <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/03\/20\/the-aew-womens-division-a-history-of-revolutions\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">historic booking pattern of only giving a small group of women the opportunity to develop characters the fans invest in<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Usually, the champion and her eventual successor. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The rest will be rotated<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> on and off stage. It\u2019s a systematic problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Subverting expectations, Bayne winning the championship on her first opportunity would break fresh ground. There are some crossovers from my speculation on whether <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/02\/10\/harley-cameron-tbs-championship-aew-grand-slam\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Harley Cameron won the TBS Championship<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> with various new possibilities. Yet, would it subvert AEW\u2019s spotlighting issue?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A Timeless Shadow <\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fantasy booking is flawed. Yet, as an alternative history fan, pondering about what could reveal a lot about a wrestling promotion\u2019s current situation. It can reflect fans\u2019 feelings and the company\u2019s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and potential threats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Truthfully, I don\u2019t think AEW would book a Bayne upset. There are three big reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Bayne is still TV-level green. Think about the miscommunication with Thunder Rosa and the steel chair.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Bayne\u2019s character <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">is not fully established<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. The crowd was quiet when the Goddess assaulted Storm. Some have not emotionally invested in Bayne yet.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The \u201cTimeless\u201d character is red hot. Even before the game-changing <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/03\/03\/match-point-toni-storm-vs-mariah-may-iii-aew-revolution\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Hollywood Ending<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Storm draws attention and intrigue.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Storm is the undeniable leading lady of the women\u2019s division. Others and I want Storm to have a significant title reign. It\u2019s a gamble with more to lose than gain by taking the belt from the Timeless one so soon. Yet, to play devil\u2019s advocate, Storm\u2019s appeal and success overshadow the division.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Recently, I broke down how even Mariah May\u2019s title reign and characterization suffered because <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/02\/14\/the-spotlight-issue-timeless-toni-storm-vs-mariah-may\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Toni Time never went away<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. It repeated the previously mentioned history of the championship and used that conveyor belt booking of placeholder challengers to keep things moving. Like <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/07\/22\/wwes-liv-morgan-vs-rhea-ripley-the-problems-in-plain-sight\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE\u2019s women\u2019s division under Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan,<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> A<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">EW can, through Storm\u2019s star power, keep the lights on. Like with Ripley\/Morgan, other women on the card risk neglect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Storm foreshadowed facing Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale, Athena, and Mercedes Mone. Undoubtedly, these would be fantastic PPV-level contests. Conversely, facing faces in Statlander and Nightingale risks splitting the crowd. Mercedes and Athena have their championships and teased feud first, which may occur before All In.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That leaves time to fill. Storm has beaten most of the women\u2019s roster at least once.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Dashing Dreams<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Storm is at her zenith as a character and performer. Bayne, as a performer\/character, wouldn\u2019t fill Storm\u2019s blood-stained shoes as champion, but she wouldn\u2019t have to. Storm demands her spotlight with or without the championship. With the right planning and stories, an upset could help place Bayne at the top of Mount Olympus and help build others, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">An upset victory for Bayne wouldn\u2019t make The Goddess an instant star. A good title run would need to follow that maximizes her strengths and hides her weaknesses. Initial shock and heat gained from dashing the promise of denying fans those illustrious foreshadowed contests also give Bayne\u2019s character power. It also addresses another divisional problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">AEW\u2019s women\u2019s division is face-heavy. After Mariah May, there isn\u2019t another top female heel to fill the void. Heels can be created or supplied with returns or turns. For example, Hikaru Shida teased going heel before disappearing. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The short-term issue is that the systematic booking pattern of bringing women on and off stage is to be <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">challengers<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> for the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Yet Bayne as champion doesn\u2019t change the formula. It would only flip the dynamic with a field of new opponents. It would give AEW fresh opportunities for storytelling and help build Bayne and her successor. Given Statlander\u2019s inability to defeat Bayne, there\u2019s a natural story. Against opponents like Nightingale and Statlander, Bayne would learn on the job quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Like with Mariah May\u2019s title reign, AEW could build another female star with a title reign.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As for Storm, she can be redirected and afforded the privilege of character development given to her male wrestlers like <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/08\/07\/aews-hangman-adam-page-and-mental-health-relapse\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Hangman Adam Page<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Swerve Strickland, and <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/01\/03\/mjf-aew-championship-reign\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">MJF<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Character evolution.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Storm Redirected <\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The biggest issue of taking the championship from Storm is that her <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/05\/20\/how-aews-timeless-toni-storm-achieved-what-wwes-fiend-could-not\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Timeless persona from inception<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> is interdependent with the belt. So much so that without it, Storm\u2019s suffered an identity crisis twice. It would be diminishing returns to go back to that well. Nevertheless, sooner or later, the character needs to exist without the title. A strong personal story that replaces or changes Storm\u2019s relationship with the championship would aid that transition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">There\u2019s a story left on the table from before Toni became Timeless. Storm cost Jamie Hayter more than the women\u2019s championship. In <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">storyline<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Storm put Hayter on the shelf. After Hayter\u2019s All In Return, her <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">retro-aesthetic<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> symbolically foreboded how reality clashed with expectations. Her subsequent booking that avoided this clear link with Storm aided Hayter in being normalized. A breakout star fitted back into rotation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Hayter got over as a kick-ass heel. Returning from visa issues with a turn, costing Storm the championship out of revenge, has justification and a personal and professional history. Such an opportunity could sever Storm from the <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">championship<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, shifting her focus to a personal grudge. It would leave Bayne the title spotlight while Storm\u2019s spotlight follows her elsewhere. Giving more women opportunities in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Conclusion: Encore <\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This speculation reveals a lot about the booking and concerns of AEW\u2019s women\u2019s division. A sense of nerves about when, who else might, and how frequently Storm and the rest of her division will be allowed to hit that watershed level of storytelling of The Hollywood Ending. The booking history shows a reliance on tropes that support prior trends.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Yes, this week\u2019s Dynamite featured two competitive women\u2019s matches. Ironically, perhaps due to another type of Storm that highlights this week is an exception to the norm. One that many hope brings lasting change.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/03\/05\/5-signs-that-aew-creative-is-turning-the-corner\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">AEW\u2019s creative is turning a corner<\/span><\/a> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">and<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> the women\u2019s division has seen more feuds and characterisation outside of the title scene. Nuance has trickled down the card. The revolution\u2019s been gradual. Many of us want it sustained and want more cinematic storylines, beats, and moments across AEW\u2019s divisions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Header photo \u2013 AEW \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> for more on AEW Dynamite and other stories from around the world of <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">wrestling,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">well<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">as<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0 You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">8 PM<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> ET on TBS. AEW Collision airs Saturday at <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">8pm<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Eastern on TNT. More AEW content <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">available<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> on <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">their<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@AEW\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">YouTube<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AEW is making a bold choice by having the ascending Megan Bayne step up to challenge \u201cTimeless\u201d Toni Storm for the AEW Women\u2019s World Championship. Yet, it plays into one of the division\u2019s most engrained tropes. Have you noticed how, early on, the new women\u2019s champion faces a \u201cmonster\u201d gatekeeper? Think Nyla Rose returning to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4960,"featured_media":132626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4677,2192,317],"tags":[6807,4634,8155,4371,8984],"class_list":["post-132607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aew","category-wrestling","category-women","tag-aew-womens-championship","tag-kris-statlander","tag-megan-bayne","tag-nyla-rose","tag-timeless-toni-storm"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4960"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132607"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":132627,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132607\/revisions\/132627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}