10 Ups & 0 Downs From AEW Dynamite: Fyter Fest (Jul 1)

1. Holy Shida

Hikaru Shida absolutely rules.

There are a lot of valid complaints one could still make in good faith when it comes to the AEW women's division, though the champion is legitimately an elite pro-wrestler who could show up in any American company and immediately be one of the best females on the roster. She's great, and last night saw her prove it once more, as Shida knocked it out of the park with Penelope Ford.

A slick, well-produced video package enhanced the bout's importance. The action was then fast, aggressive, and angry, following on from the previous week's brawl. Shida has been working more pugnaciously than usual lately. It's definitely to her benefit as not only does it add a layer of character, but it makes her matches even more exciting, layering a dollop of heat atop her slick, fluid work.

It wasn't all the Shida show, though. Ford deserves props for levelling-up with the most impressive performance of her AEW career, standing out in the match's quietest and loudest moments. Her selling looked particularly good here. Sure, there's still work to be done, but 'The Bad Girl' is coming along nicely.

An excellent Women's title match concluded following a series of big, believable nearfalls, as Shida put Ford away through multiple knee strikes and Falcon Arrows. They did the damn thing.