Former TBS Champion Willow Nightingale Explains Why She Chose To Stay In AEW

Former TBS Champion Willow Nightingale Explains Why She Chose To Stay In AEW

The former TBS Champion recently re-signed with AEW and Willow Nightingale sat down with the News Herald to explain her decision to stay with the company.

By EliteGuy101 - Aug 08, 2025 11:08 PM EST
Filed Under: AEW
Source: News Herald

Willow explains why she chose to stay in AEW.

Back in May, it was confirmed that the former TBS Champion had re-signed with AEW, though the exact details of her contract were unknown. There were also reports that WWE was interested in signing Willow. While it’s not clear if the company ever reached out, it sounds like Willow never entertained the idea of leaving as stated during her interview with Tom Valentino of the News Herald.

“The idea of entertaining free agency didn’t even really cross my mind. I mean, obviously, the thought was there because it’s a business at the end of the day, but I am so happy where I am, and I feel like my work here is so far from done. And the things that I love about wrestling the most are afforded to me here. I do get to travel and see the world, wrestle other places, wrestle other people. 

But, also, I get to be a part of our locker room, and it’s changed and grown since I’ve started there, let alone from the people who were there from day one. Penelope Ford is someone who comes to mind, who was really an OG AEW wrestler, and she was gone for two years with a hip injury. She came back and instantly had as much passion as when she started. She and I don’t see eye-to-eye in the ring. We don’t deal with things the same way. We’ve got different mentalities. But I have to applaud someone who kind of came from a different time, and as the locker room has pushed for more and been hungry to get better, she has done the same, and that is that’s the kind of locker room I want to be a part of.

You know, who’s just, like, “OK, we’re evolving, we’re growing, I’m gonna get with it”? … We all want each other’s spot. Whoever’s at the top — (AEW women’s world champion) Toni Storm, (TBS champion) Mercedes Moné — we all want to be you. And that’s the company I want to be in. I don’t want to be the best of people who are just happy to be where they are. I want to be the best people who are hungry and trying to make everybody better.”

The former TBS Champion originally started her run on Dark in 2021 as enhancement talent. Willow’s first Dynamite appearance was on July 20, 2022, where she teamed with Athena to take on The Baddies (Jade Cargill & Kiera Hogan).

However, Willow’s next Dynamite appearance resulted in her first win on the flagship show. Since then, Willow has been making regular appearances on Dynamite and Collision and notably main evented the 2023 Death By Dishonor pay-per-view against Athena in one of the best matches of her career. In 2024, Willow beat Julia Hart to win her first AEW title, the TBS Championship. 

She dropped it quickly to Mercedes Mone at Double or Nothing, but she's remained a big presence on AEW television ever since. 

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