AEW Women’s eliminator tournament results: Nyla Rose vs. Thunder Rosa

The Big Takeaway:

Nyla Rose defeated Thunder Rosa to advance to Wednesday’s finals of the AEW Women’s eliminator tournament where she will face Ryo Mizunami with the victor moving on to face champion Hikaru Shida at Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view.

Show Report:

Excalibur and Taz were on commentary.

Madi Wrenkowski defeated Leva Bates

Wrenkowski tossed one of Bates’ books at her immediately, but was kicked out of the ring for her trouble. Bates landed a crossbody to the floor and brought the action back in the ring, hitting a Northern Lights suplex for two. Wrenkowski rolled to the outside and pulled Bates across the ropes, allowing her to take control. A sliding lariat followed for two.

Bates hit Wrenkowski with a high kick, a bulldog, a thrust kick, and a small package for two. Wrenkowski fought back with a facebuster for a near fall. She then took Bates’ book and started ripping pages out. Bates got it back and tried to hit her opponent with it, but the official took it and put it away. That distraction allowed Wrenkowski to smack Bates with a different book for the win, her first in AEW.

Leyla Hirsch defeated Miranda Alize

They had an extended lockup sequence early until Hirsch downed Alize with a shoulder block. Alize tried to come back with a headscissors that mostly landed and then countered an apron spear from Hirsch with a rising knee strike.

Hirsch landed forearms in the corner and a bicycle knee, followed by a brainbuster for two. She put Alize in the fireman’s carry, but Alize fought out and downed Hirsch with a right hand. Alize landed some sort of springboard dive for two. She was fired up, but Hirsch immediately countered the follow-up with a cross armbreaker for the submission victory.

Nyla Rose defeated Thunder Rosa to advance to the AEW Women’s eliminator tournament finals

This was a strong final to the US side of the bracket. It was occasionally sloppy, but the two worked extremely hard.

Rose was frustrated early on as she couldn’t overpower Rosa like she wanted as the smaller wrestler came back with repeated kicks. However, Rose caught a springboard that Rosa fought out of, laying in more kicks to Rose’s hamstring. Rosa countered a chokeslam into an ankle lock. 

After a long fight, Rosa transitioned into repeated elbow drops on Rose’s knee. She then applied a single leg crab, but Rose reached the ropes. They moved to the outside, where Rose slammed Rosa into the barricade. Back in the ring, a couple Rose diving body splashes got a two count.

Rosa fought out of rest holds and avoided a corner spear from Rose. After sending Rose into the turnbuckle, she landed a diving crossbody on Rose on the floor. The official spent a long time checking on Rose who may have gotten legitimately rocked on the crossbody. Rose then popped up and slammed Rosa’s face into the turnbuckle.

Back in the ring, a back suplex from Rose got two. Rose then hit repeated backbreakers and a uranage for a near fall. She headed to the top rope, but Rosa pulled her down for a rough landing. Rosa capitalized with a corner clothesline and a dropkick before going to the top herself with a missile dropkick for a near fall.

Rosa tried to follow it up with a suplex, but couldn’t due to the damage to her back. Rose took advantage by draping Rosa over the top rope and landing a diving knee drop for a close near fall. Rose couldn’t keep up the attack due to her knee injury and Rosa hit a death valley driver for two. Rosa fought out of a cazadora into a wheelbarrow stunner and then hit a backdrop suplex for a very close two (Rose didn’t get her shoulder up in time). 

Rose then countered a top rope dive from Rosa right into the Beast Bomb to win and advance to Wednesday’s finals against Ryo Mizunami.

Upcoming matches:

• Wednesday on Dynamite: Nyla Rose vs. Ryo Mizunami in the tournament finals
• Sunday at Revolution: Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida vs. the tournament winner

Final Thoughts:

Tonight’s tournament match was very good — not as good as the very best performances in the tournament but a worthy semifinal. The preliminary matches were absolutely nothing, if not outright bad at times. Hirsch, however, continues to show potential.