10 Wrestlers Who Overdelivered In 2023
8. Willow Nightingale
A lot of what’s worked best for AEW’s women’s division in 2023 has been pretty high concept stuff. Toni Storm’s off the wall descent into monochromatic madness; the ever-debatable complexities of blue and black mist.
The exception to this is Willow Nightingale, about as pure and unadulterated a gimmick as you can get in wrestling. She’s an uncommonly effective, straight down the line heroic babyface who genuinely connects with the crowd. That’s no easy feat to pull off - just ask Rocky Maivia - but Willow’s high octane persona hits all the right notes, and never feels forced.
It helps that she’s terrific in the ring, and getting better by the month. From what she’s displayed so far, Nightingale hasn’t come close to finding her ceiling. The match with Athena was probably her best to date, but bouts with Kris Statlander and Julia Hart went a long way to showcasing her versatility. She even chalked up a win over Mercedes Mone, even if this was an audible called due to injury.
She’s utilised well and often, and the Owen Hart tournament win suggests the office is behind her. There’s a slight doubt as to how she’d fare with a significant character tweak, but when the formula works, why mess with it?