10 Women AEW Need To Sign
AEW wants a women's division, but who should be among its first members?
Women's wrestling has never been in a better position than it is right now.
The independent circuit is full of incredible female performers, women's-only promotions like Shimmer and Stardom are doing amazing work and female wrestlers have a good chance of main-eventing the biggest annual wrestling show in the world for the first time ever.
Another reason to be excited for the future of women's wrestling is the newly-created All Elite Wrestling, who announced that they would not only be creating a women's division, but that they would also be giving it some serious attention.
The company has already announced the signings of prominent female wrestlers such as Britt Baker, Penelope Ford and Brandi Rhodes, but they're going to need more than that to compete with the likes of WWE.
Thanks to the Mae Young Classic, it seems like every accomplished indie female wrestler in the world now works for WWE. However, some of the MYC competitors didn't sign on full-time and there are plenty of female stars who were overlooked by the tournament's bookers.
If AEW want to make good on their promise of a prominent women's division, then signing these ten performers would be a very wise move. They're talented, well-known, and, most importantly, not signed with Vince McMahon.
Here are ten of the biggest women's wrestling stars in the world who AEW need to try and sign.
10. Leva Bates
Long-term fans of NXT might not recognise this name, but they should recognise this face.
Leva Bates is best known for her brief period in NXT, where she performed under the rather imaginative name of "Blue Pants".
Original plans had Bates as nothing more than enhancement talent. However, her Blue Pants gimmick got over massively, thanks to her quirky look, endless enthusiasm and plucky spirit. She faced the likes of Nia Jax, Sasha Banks and Carmella in her time in NXT, even scoring a victory over the latter.
She also managed The Vaudevillains during their NXT Tag Team title victory at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, before being unceremoniously cut from the company in late 2015.
Bates has since made appearances for promotions such as Impact, Shimmer and Full Impact Pro, winning over audiences with her cosplay-inspired ring outfits.
Bates knows how to connect with a crowd, even when she isn't supposed to. If AEW want a loveable babyface who can bring a huge quantity of fun to their women's division, then the Blue Pants certainly fit when it comes to Bates.