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AEW Women's World Championship Eliminator Tournament Opening Match: Thunder Rosa vs Leyla Hirsch
Last week, Thunder Rosa came up short in a stellar match with Britt Baker. This week, she had a chance to get some momentum back and pick up the first win in the AEW Women's World Championship Eliminator Tournament. Her opponent? The always impressive Leyla Hirsch.
Again, AEW's weakest part of the show for many critics had always been their women's division. Much like last week, what we saw on AEW Dynamite this past Wednesday showed that wasn't the case anymore. The division has built up quite nicely over the past six or so months, and Hirsch and Rosa walked away with the match of the night.
Everyone knew just how incredible Thunder Rosa was going into this match, and many consider her to be a favorite for the whole tournament. Leyla Hirsch, however, came into this match looking to prove everyone wrong. As great as the former NWA Women's World Champion looked, what we saw this week was another star-making performance for Hirsch.
No-nonsense offense from Hirsch, as she battered Rosa throughout the match with heavy knee strikes and suplexes. She kept up well with Rosa throughout and was able to escape the Fire Thunder Driver on a few occasions.
In the end, it was Thunder Rosa who punched her ticket to the next round. She'll face the winner of former AEW Women's Champion Riho and the NWA World Women's Champion Serena Deeb.
It's really unfortunate to see Hirsch taken out this early, as she's been nothing but impressive since stepping foot in AEW in October. It wasn't her night, but fans should keep an eye on her, as she's destined for great things.
