Hikaru Shida defended the AEW women’s championship against Penelope Ford on night one (July 1) of AEW’s Fyter Fest.
This was always going to be an uphill battle for Ford, and her prospects worsened when referee Aubrey Edwards ejected Kip Sabian from ringside before the match even began.
But Penelope still put up a hell of a fight, with several near falls on the champ.
Are you kidding me, @thePenelopeFord? WHAT A MATCH #FyterFest pic.twitter.com/GxJPKKH80z
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) July 2, 2020
Ford’s desperation grew and she distracted the ref, allowing Sabian to run back into the ring and attack Shida with a kendo stick. It backfired on Sabian, because you should never swing a kendo stick at Hikaru Shida.
Ford missed a moonsault, leading to running knees and a Falcon Arrow from Shida, that Ford somehow kicked out of.
.@shidahikaru always gives her best effort. What a great champion! #AEWDynamite #FyterFest #AEWonTNT pic.twitter.com/iAPpHwwwwu
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) July 2, 2020
But the champ always has one more running knee waiting for her foe, and that final knee strike put Ford away.
Hikaru Shida is still the best women’s wrestler in AEW.
Get complete Dynamite results and coverage here.