Kris Statlander has had her hands full because the AEW Women’s World Champion over the past few months, but she had not yet defended her title for the reason that turn of the brand new 12 months. That each one modified on the January 28 episode of “AEW Dynamite” when she went one-on-one with “The Toxic Spider” Thekla. Despite a number of animosity between the 2 and tensions running high heading into the bout, Statlander got the victory and made her first title defense of 2026.
Thekla attempted to get in Statlander’s head within the opening moments, but Statlander would use her brute strength to take control with a delayed vertical Suplex and a Slingshot into the steel steps on the surface. Nonetheless, the champion played to the group a bit too long and Thekla got back into things with kicks and stomps because the match entered the business break. Through the break, it was all Thekla as she whipped the challenger all around the ringside area, continuing to wear the champion down once the motion returned to the ring with a fast series of covers. The challenger then used a series of strikes and submissions to maintain Statlander grounded.
Coming out of the break, Statlander got back into the bout by countering Thekla’s inverted Tarantula by catapulting her face first into the turnbuckles. Statlander then hit a Michinoku Driver for a near fall, and just as Thekla looked to chop the champion off, she got hit with a vicious Lariat as Statlander looked to go to the highest. Thekla joined her on the highest turnbuckle and hit a Spider Suplex from the highest and followed it up with a Crossbody to the surface, but when the motion returned to the ring, Thekla couldn’t make the duvet after hitting a Spear on account of exhaustion.
A strike exchange led to Thekla spitting in Statlander’s face, resulting in the challenger locking in a Flying Octopus Hold and wrenching the arm back to establish a Curb Stomp. With that said, Statlander countered the Spear, but that was countered right into a Wednesday Night Fever, which was then countered right into a roll up for a near fall for the challenger. Statlander missed a Discus Lariat as Thekla ducked out the best way, however the champion used Thekla’s momentum against her by grabbing her and hitting a Gut-Wrench Powerbomb, and followed that up by hitting the Wednesday Night Fever for the victory, retaining her title in the method.
After the bout, The Babes of Wrath joined Statlander within the ring to rejoice, but they were distracted by Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford who arrived at the highest of the ramp to stare down the champion.