AEW star comments on winning vacated title

On July 10, CMLL announced that Stephanie Vaquer had vacated the CMLL World Women’s Championship and had been removed from their and NJPW rosters.
The company went on to announce that a new champion would be crowned at the NJPW x CMLL Fantasticamania USA event in San Jose with Lluvia facing Viva Van and Willow Nightingale in a three way bout.
At NJPW x CMLL Fantasticamania USA, Willow Nightingale defeated Lluvia and Viva Van to win the CMLL World Women’s Championship.
Following the show, AEW posted a video with Nightingale speaking candidly about fighting through a “broken spirit” after several setbacks in AEW.

On being betrayed by Kris Statlander and losing the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Finals to Mariah May before winning gold in a third promotion within the last year, Willow said:
“The last time I wrestled in CMLL was actually also my first week in CMLL, but do you want to know what happened when I showed up? I freaking won,”
“I beat the current CMLL Champion at that point, Stephanie Vaquer. Stephanie’s not here; the championship’s vacant. Who’s going to step up? No one else but Willow Nightingale, duh!”
“My spirit was actually a little broken coming in here,”
“AEW, my friend turned on me. I just lost my last match. I really needed a win, and today, I didn’t just get a win. I walked out an international champion.”

Willow Nightingale made history by becoming the first-ever American-born champion in the history of this particular title.
After vacating the CMLL World Women’s Championship, Stephanie Vaquer officially signed with WWE and is now set to train at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. She made her in-ring debut for the company at a WWE live event in Mexico City on July 13, which you can read here.

EXCLUSIVE: TONIGHT on @NJPWWorld, @WillowWrestles walked out of @NJPWGlobal & @CMLL_Oficial Fantasticamania as #CMLL World Women's Champion! Willow gives her thoughts! pic.twitter.com/0L1qgaaXyr

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 14, 2024