Backstage News On Willow Nightingale's AEW Women's World Title Win At Redemption

Willow Nightingale captured the AEW Women's World Championship for the first time in the semi-main event of Sunday's Redemption pay-per-view as she defeated Thekla for the belt following a backslide.

The expectation heading into the match was that Nightingale would win and Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful has reported that Nightingale had been planned to win the AEW Women's World Title for months, with the plan always being Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Moné for the AEW Women's World Championship at All In 2026.

If the original plan was for Willow Nightingale to win the title at All In is unknown, but she was originally scheduled to compete in the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament, while Mercedes Moné was not planned to be a part of that tournament. Nightingale withdrew from the tournament due to injury, however, which was later revealed to be an AC sprain, and Mercedes Moné was announced as her replacement.

Moné went on to win the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament by defeating Maya World in the final at Forbidden Door. Willow Nightingale vacated the TBS Title as a result of her injury but she returned at Dynamite Beach Break on July 8, winning a Casino Gauntlet to earn an AEW Women's World Title shot against Thekla.

Due to Willow's win at Redemption, it was made official that it will be Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Moné for the AEW Women's World Championship at All In. The pay-per-view will, once again, take place at Wembley Stadium over the August bank holiday weekend.