Willow Nightingale looks back on officially signing with All Elite Wrestling.
Nightingale has become a breakout star on the independent scene in recent years. She was also featured in the rebuilt ROH women’s division in 2021 before the company went on hiatus after Final Battle. She started wrestling for AEW in November 2021, and she gradually started getting more opportunities. Before she signed with the company, she competed in a number of noteworthy matches; among other bouts, she challenged Jade Cargill for the TBS Championship.
In an interview with Will Washington, Righteous Reg, & Phil Lindsey on Fightful’s Grapsody podcast, Nightingale recalled how she signed the contract the day of the October 21 episode of AEW Rampage. On the show, she defeated Leila Grey, and Tony Schiavone announced that Willow was “All Elite.”
“I, obviously knew I had been signed at this point, I signed the contract that morning,” she said. “They had emailed it to me and I was standing ringside when I did the signature on my phone. It was really fresh and very full circle for me.”(Transcription credit of Jeremy Lambert of Fightful.)
Nightingale also clarified her previous contract status and noted that she didn’t have a full contract. She noted that she was with the company in an “official capacity” on a pay-per-appearance deal, but she didn’t feel like a full member of the roster until she put pen to paper.
“I had a pay-per-appearance situation,” she clarified. “I was with them in a capacity, in an official capacity even, but to me it didn’t really feel the same. I wasn’t on the roster page. I don’t think the fans really looked at me as a part of the team. Here and there, depends on who you ask. I still felt a chip on my shoulder because even if I hadn’t gotten the All Elite graphic, it just didn’t feel like I was fully welcomed in yet. The women in the locker room were great and had been treating me kindly and everything, but it wasn’t the whole thing. When it all happened, I was like, ‘Ahh! Yes!'”
Willow continues to shine bright; in recent weeks, she has defeated Anna Jay A.S. and Marina Shafir. She also beat Trish Adora on the Zero Hour pre-show ahead of ROH Final Battle.
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