There have been plenty of Highs and Lows in AEW, but new names have emerged as top stars in the company. Toni Storm is finally getting a well-deserved main event treatment, whereas other names like Julia Hart, Abadon, and Skye Blue are getting a good spotlight on them currently. 

However, there are so many names on the AEW roster that have yet to be given much of a chance to prove themselves on Dynamite & Collision. AEW has over 125 active wrestlers on their roster, so it isn’t an easy feat to feature every single man and woman in five hours (that includes Rampage), but these five women deserve to be given a stronger push in the coming year. 

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Athena

Yes, I know that Athena is the longest reigning ROH Women’s Champion down in Ring of Honor. However, the issue is that she’s stuck on a brand where not enough eyes are watching her doing some of the best work of her career. Athena deserves to have that spotlight in front of millions of viewers.

The former NXT Women’s Champion stumbled when she first came into the company in 2022, but that is all down to the booking as she’s been killing it in Ring of Honor.  In fact, Athena is the best thing going in the women’s division on the AEW/ROH side of things. The confidence she’s showing as the top champion and her matches have been one of the best things about the Ring of Honor brand. 

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Taya Valkyrie

Her match against Britt Baker seemed to kill creative’s desire to push her further on AEW television. Perhaps Tony Khan will follow up on the disqualification win she got over Toni Storm during the Battle of the Belts? Either way, Taya Valkyrie is an extremely talented veteran who deserves to be one of the main stars of the women’s division. She isn’t the first wrestler to have a bad day at the office. 

Valkyrie has proven herself in Impact Wrestling and Lucha Underground, holding her own against both men and women, plus showcasing her personality as an arrogant heel. I know she’s made a recent debut on ROH as well, but she deserves to be given a better opportunity on Dynamite. It’s criminal that she’s been relegated to the background since she’s such an accomplished name in her own right. 

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Willow Nightingale

Willow Nightingale is a star on the rise. She had an incredible match against Athena at Death Before Dishonor. But she’s been a nice highlight throughout her time in New Japan and AEW this past year. She is such an effective babyface because her charisma is upbeat and infectious. Willow is a strong example of a woman treated right in AEW. 

She may have not received the massive push as some others, but creative is doing a good job giving her the spotlight and she’s taken advantage of every moment. Honestly, I would be surprised if she didn't win the TNT or Women’s title next year. She has a quality that not many babyfaces have in modern wrestling: a white-meat protagonist. She’s always an engaging presence and there are numerous exciting match-ups waiting for the AEW star. 

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Ruby Soho

Surprisingly, Ruby hasn’t won a belt yet. She’s featured regularly on Dynamite and has showcased time-and-time again that she deserves to be at the top, but I guess creative isn’t ready to commit to her being a champion long-term. 

Ruby remains one of the most highly entertaining names on the roster, whether she’s a heel or babyface. It would be great if she broke away from Saraya and carved her path towards being a champion. Circling back to her and Toni Storm could do wonders for both, though all signs point to Storm dropping the belt to Mariah May. However,  it wouldn’t be a bad idea if Ruby got that nod instead of May as she truly deserves it. 

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Penelope Ford

The case of Penelope Ford is a strange one. She had a star-making performance at the first ever All In pay-per-view, as she managed to do her spots against Hangman Page incredibly well. Then she came over to AEW. Other than her match against Hikaru Shida and that bloody street fight on Rampage, she hasn’t done much in the company.

Some of that has been plagued by injuries, but Ford hasn’t been injured during most of her AEW stint. She’s a talented performer with strong charisma. Is she on the level of Athena and Taya Valkyrie in terms of athletic ability? Not yet, but it’s a shame that her career hasn’t gone further in the AEW women’s division. Ford is the perfect talent suited for the TBS Championship. Just like Julia Hart, Ana Jay, and Tay Melo improved their in-ring work throughout their time in AEW, Ford can do the same if she’s given some veterans to feud against. With her and Sabian down in Ring of Honor, hopefully, she’s given some time to develop her character and work more on her craft as a wrestler.