Current AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm successfully defended her title against Skye Blue during tonight’s AEW Dynamite, even receiving her very own special entrance video from Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies. However, after the match, Storm was confronted by a returning Riho, who made it clear she was looking to get her hands back on the world title.
Riho has been absent from AEW for most of this year. While she did wrestle in a dark match for the promotion in June, her last televised bout was all the way back in April. After unsuccessfully challenging Jamie Hayter for the world title on the April 5 episode of Dynamite, she teamed with Blue the next week in another losing effort, this time against The Outcasts, which notably included Storm. It looks as though Riho was largely taking a break from wrestling as a whole, as her only other match in the latter half of 2023 was for Singapore Pro Wrestling in August.
As the first-ever AEW Women’s World Champion, Riho seems to be jumping to the front of the line for a shot at Storm’s title. As glimpsed tonight, Riho will have to deal with Luther as Storm’s bodyguard, as well as Mariah May, who has been following the champion around as a super-fan. Win or lose, there is hope that tonight is the start of a longer run in AEW for Riho, who has too often appeared in stops and starts since her initial title run.