AEW star Jade Cargill channeled her inner Storm as she made her way to the ring for the final match in the TBS Championship Tournament to crown the inaugural champion. The crowning of the first-ever TBS champion fell on the wrestling promotion's Dynamite debut on the TBS network after previously airing on TNT.
In the finals for the TBS Championship Tournament, Cargill took on Ruby Soho, who debuted in AEW at the All Out event in September. After receiving a first-round bye, Cargill secured victories over Red Velvet and Thunder Rosa in order to advance to the final round of the tournament. On the other hand, Soho, who did not receive a bye, defeated Penelope Ford, Kris Statlander, and Nyla Rose to advance to the finals.
For her TBS Championship match against Soho, Cargill approached the ring first, wearing stunning black gear outlined in gold. Unlike the attire Cargill normally wears, this gear was not two entirely separate pieces. Instead, it was connected by a thin strap running through a golden ring. Cargill added to the look with gold armbands and a matching black cape that is strikingly similar to the gear often sported by Storm in the X-Men comics. Cargill completed the look by adorning her signature white hair with Storm's black crown, making her a fitting choice for championship gold.
Cargill has often found herself compared to the X-Men heroine throughout her short time in AEW and has incorporated the confidence of character in other aspects of her in-ring persona. Cargill's theme music and entrance video contain references to Storm as well, including Jade's warning that "a storm is coming," as well as a literal storm brewing on the screen. Over the Jade logo, Cargill herself can be seen holding a lightning bolt, which is also a piece of the Storm character.
Cargill entered the match with an impressive 22-0 record in AEW. The stakes of a championship match were not enough to throw Cargill off of her game, as she scored the win over Soho. The win not only stretched Cargill's record to 23-0 but made her the first-ever TBS Champion. Her win also makes her the second Black woman to hold a championship in AEW. The first was Nyla Rose who held the AEW Women's World Championship for an impressive 101 days.
Cargill's win was not met without some resistance, as some fans have argued that she only took down Soho because of recent comments regarding AEW's diversity. Others have argued that Cargill's undefeated streak was a testament to the fact that AEW planned for her to win the championship months ago. No matter the criticism Cargill and other members of the AEW roster have been subjected to, Cargill has proven herself as a fierce in-ring competitor, who has managed to score victories over some of the most skilled women on the AEW roster. Now that she is the TBS Champion, Cargill's true reign of dominance is just getting started.
Source: All Elite Wrestling|Twitter