The 5 Most (& 5 Least) Impressive Women On The Roster So Far
Michael Hansen 
AEW has pushed its women hard since the promotion started in 2019. While the women have gotten a lot of screen time, fans remain split over whether the talent is up to par. While there are always complaints online about whether wrestlers are good or bad, there is talent in AEW.
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The promotion started with Japanese phenom Riho upsetting the roster to win the inaugural AEW Women's Championship. She has since lost the title to Nia Jax, and the battle for the top is underway. With almost a year in existence, here are the five most impressive women on the AEW roster and five that have a long way to go.
10 MOST: HIKARU SHIDA
One of the wrestlers who has been around since the start but started to shine in 2020 is Hikaru Shida. While Riho was defending the title in 2019, Shida was quietly putting on some of the best matches on every show she appeared.
As 2020 moves on, it seems that Shida is an AEW Champion waiting to happen. At the moment, she is the top babyface in the company in the women's division.
9 LEAST: EMI SAKURA
As with Hiraku Shida, the other women's wrestler from Japan that has gotten a ton of ring time in AEW is Emi Sakura. At the age of 43, Sakura is one of the oldest women on the roster, and has a ton of experience, wrestling since 1994.
Sakura also has a fun gimmick with her Freddie Mercury imitation. However, she has done little to show that she is more than a mid-card women's talent in AEW.
8 MOST: KRIS STATLANDER
When Kris Statlander made her AEW debut, there was something off about her. It might be the fact that she claims to be an alien. It might be the fact that she acts like she is from another planet and has no idea how to act and react around others.
Then she wrestled and immediately showed she is one of the best in AEW. She caught on fast with the fans and proved to be a star in the making.
7 LEAST: BRANDI RHODES
This might not be fair, but Brandi Rhodes put herself in the ring as a wrestler more than once. She wasn't bad, but she is very green and has a lot to learn before anyone can take her seriously as a wrestler. With that said, Brandi, as the Chief Branding Officer, is her true calling, and she brings a lot to AEW in that role.
In the ring, Brandi Rhodes made her debut and pinned Allie. After this, Allie left AEW, and it is no wonder as a real wrestler lost to a non-wrestler. The good news is that her next matches included a loss in a battle royal and a loss in a tag team match, so at least she isn't putting herself over real wrestlers anymore.
6 MOST: RIHO
Riho was the first AEW Women's Champion, and she deserved it more than anyone else at the time. There are a lot of fans who don't like Riho as a champion because of how she looks. Riho is 93 pounds, and because of that, no one expects her to win.
That is the point. Much like Rey Mysterio, she is someone who has a lot of heart and proves this, proving she can beat anyone at any time. She is the perfect underdog.
5 LEAST: LEVA BATES
Leva Bates picked up a lot of fans in NXT when she picked up the name Blue Pants. Fans loved her and wanted to see her get a push. However, NXT never pushed her, and fans didn't understand why. Now, she is in AEW as Leva Bates, one of the Librarians.
Yes, it is a terrible gimmick, but Bates also showed that she is a mediocre wrestler, and while she can improve over time, right now, she is at the bottom of the women's ladder.
4 MOST: BRITT BAKER, D.M.D.
When Britt Baker started in AEW, it was clear that the company wanted her to be the face of the women's division. She was a babyface who was also a dentist in real-life. She is also the girlfriend of NXT Champion Adam Cole, so it looked like she had a chance to lead the babyface locker room.
RELATED: 5 AEW Wrestlers Who Should Be The First Midcard Champion (& 5 Who Shouldn't)
The problem is that Baker was a bad babyface. No one bought her in the ring or as a babyface to cheer. Then, Baker turned heel. Fans didn't buy into it at first. However, Baker then found her footing and is now the most entertaining women's heel in AEW and is suddenly ready to reach the top.
3 LEAST: BEA PRIESTLEY
Much like how AEW wanted to make Britt Baker the face of the AEW women's division, it seemed that they had big plans for Bea Priestley as well.
Much like Baker, it didn't work out. However, while Baker found herself as a heel, Priestley was already a heel and could never, ever work as a babyface. Priestley is 0-2 in singles action and has never gotten anything going in her AEW career.
2 MOST: AWESOME KONG
The story is that when AEW called and signed Awesome Kong, she was afraid no one would know who she was anymore. She had nothing to worry about. When she came out for Double or Nothing 2019, the fans went nuts.
Same thing at All Out for the battle royal. Now, the problem is that Kong has been no better than part-time in AEW, but she is 3-0 in singles action and is the biggest name in the division.
1 LEAST: NYLA ROSE
Nyla Rose is getting better. She is the new AEW Champion, so she has proven to be a success as well. The match when Rose beat Riho for the title might have been the best women's match since AEW started. The problem is that Rose needs someone better than her in the match to lead the way, and she is still very green.
She isn't the top heel in the company, as that would be Britt Baker. She isn't the strongest, as that would be Kong. She is the champion, but the division deserves better right now. She will get there but isn't there yet.
