Willow Nightingale: A Brief Biography
Willow Nightingale, real name Danielle Paultre, is an American professional wrestler. Debuting in 2015, she's carved a path through independent promotions like Shimmer and Ring of Honor, before landing on the global stage of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2021. Nightingale is known for her athleticism and electrifying presence in the ring. She is the current AEW TBS Champion in her first reign with the title.
Name | Danielle Paultre |
Born | January 25, 1994 |
Nationality | American |
Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
Weight | 83 kg (183 lb) |
Trainer | Bull James and Mike Mondo |
Birth Place | North Valley Stream, New York, USA |
Debut | February 2015 |
Early Life
Willow Nightingale’s real name is Danielle Paultre. She was born on January 25, 1994, in North Valley Stream, New York, USA. Not much is known of Willow Nightangle’s early life. However, she had been quite interested in professional wrestling from a rather young age and made her debut at the age of 21.
Professional Wrestling Career
Independent Circuit (2015 - Present)
Willow Nightingale started her wrestling career at the New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC) school. After training under Mike Mondo, she made her debut as Willow Nightingale in February 2015 at an NYWC event, but she lost her first match to Sammy Pickles. Nightingale quickly rose through the ranks and captured the NYWC Starlet Championship a year later.
She even challenged for the prestigious Heart of Shimmer Championship in 2018, though she wasn't successful. In 2019, she lost the Starlet Championship to Kris Statlander but managed to win it back in January 2020 in a steel cage match against Tina San Antonio. Nightingale's dominance continued in 2022 when she triumphed in a four-way match, defeating Johnny Radke, Dino Might, and John Silver to become the NYWC Fusion Champion.
All Elite Wrestling (2021 - Present)
Willow Nightingale started out unsuccessful in AEW, losing matches for the TBS Championship against Jade Cargill. However, she persevered and eventually signed a full-time contract with the company in October 2022.
Nightingale's career flourished in 2023. She achieved success in both AEW and NJPW, becoming the inaugural NJPW Strong Women's Champion and winning the AEW Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament. Despite an injury in September, she returned in April 2024 to claim victory over Julia Hart and become the AEW TBS Champion. This is the first title she has won in AEW.
Ring of Honor (2021 - Present)
Willow Nightingale competed in Ring of Honor (ROH) throughout 2021 and 2022. She entered the inaugural ROH Women's World Championship tournament in 2021 but lost in the first round. Later that year, she became the number one contender but again fell short in the championship match.
ROH went on hiatus after December 2021. Upon their return in 2022, Nightingale continued her success, securing a victory against Mercedes Martinez for the interim ROH Women's World Championship. She also defended her NJPW Strong Women's Championship title within ROH. In July 2023, Nightingale challenged for the official ROH Women's World Championship but was defeated by Athena.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (2023 - Present)
Willow Nightingale achieved another milestone in her career in April 2023. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) announced she would compete in a tournament to crown the first-ever Strong Women's Champion. Nightingale dominated the competition, defeating Momo Kohgo and Mercedes Moné to become the inaugural champion at Resurgence on May 21st.
Her reign included a successful title defense against Emi Sakura on AEW Rampage on June 2nd. However, her championship run ended on July 5th at NJPW Independence Day, where she lost the title to Giulia after 45 days as champion.
Willow Nightingale Net Worth 2024
There isn't publicly available information on Willow Nightingale's specific net worth. Further, it is not known how much does Nightangle earns from All Elite Wrestling.
Willow Nightingale Parents
The details of Willow Nightingale’s parents are not known including the names of her father and her mother.
Willow Nightingale Boyfriend
Willow Nightingale is currently dating professional wrestler Rex Lawless. They've been together since 2016. Rex Lawless is a seasoned professional wrestler with a career spanning nearly 13 years. He's honed his skills in various independent circuits including New York Wrestling Connection and Five Borough Wrestling and nicknames like "The Desolate One" and "Pectoral Poseidon" add to his colorful persona in the ring.
Throughout his career, he's clinched prestigious titles like the NYWC Fusion Title, NYWC Heavyweight Title, and CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas Title. Beyond wrestling, Lawless has also commented for the Forza Lucha! 6 promotion.
Awards and Achievements
Promotion | Championship Won |
All Elite Wrestling |
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Chikara |
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New Japan Pro Wrestling |
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New York Wrestling Connection |
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FAQs on Willow Nightingale
A. Willow Nightingale stands at 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m).
A. Willow Nightingale is billed at 83 kg (183 lb).
A. Willow Nightingale uses the Babe with the Powerbomb as her finisher.
A. Willow Nightingale is a former AEW TBS Champion and has also won the Women's Owen Hart Cup.