Hikaru Shida defeats Tay Conti to retain her AEW Women's Championship
Hikaru Shida retained her AEW Women's Championship against Tay Conti in a tremendous match on this week's AEW Dynamite. The two stars left it all in the ring to put on, arguably, the best women's title match in Dynamite history.
Shida dominated the early stages of the match and displayed a surprising mean streak with her trash talking. The champion also utilized her martial arts background to brutalize Conti with a series of ferocious knee strikes.
Despite the initial setback, Tay Conti soon surmounted a terrific comeback and showed some fiery babyface fire to take down Shida. The frantic closing stretch of the match was incredible, with Conti almost winning the title after hitting the GTS on Shida.
In the end, Shida hit a backbreaker and followed it up with her finisher, Katana, to secure the win and retain her AEW Women's Championship.
Though Conti lost the match, she continues to impress with her growth as an in-ring performer. It's only a matter of time before AEW goes all out with a push for Conti to crown her the champion.
Britt Baker is next in line for a AEW Women's Championship match
Post-match, Britt Baker came out and made her intentions clear by revealing she was now the No. 1-ranked performer in AEW's women's division.
It looks like Baker will soon get a shot at the AEW Women's Championship, possibly at the upcoming pay-per-view, Double of Nothing 2021. With the kind of momentum she currently has, it would not come as a surprise if Baker holds the title over her shoulder by the end of the match.
What did you think about this week's title defense? Do you want to see Britt Baker challenge for the AEW Women's Championship next? Sound off the comments section below.