Hikaru Shida vs. Riho

The Women’s Casino Battle Royale will take place on the preshow, The Buy-In. On the main card, Joshi standouts Hikaru Shida and Riho will face off in a one-on-one match. AEW hasn’t confirmed it yet, but Dave Meltzer reported that the winner of this match will be the second contender for the AEW Women’s World Championship.

As such, Lauren believes Hikaru will pick up the win.

Lauren: Hikaru Shida will win. The two Japanese superstars are destined to put on an incredible match showcasing their Joshi style but after a back and forth battle, I see Shida coming out as the victor. She is the veteran of the two and more physically dominating to the eye. Since the winner looks to be a second contender for the inaugural women’s championship, Shida deserves that spot.

Meanwhile, Kristen and Chris both believe Riho will win.

Kristen: This is a hard one. AEW is clearly aligning Shida to be at the forefront of the women’s division, and it’s not hard to see why. She’s a phenomenal competitor. Riho is the babyface the division deserves, though, and I love a good underdog story. I predict Riho takes the win.

Chris: Though not yet official, this could determine one of the spots in the inaugural women’s championship match. If so, then Riho is the logical choice to go over in what should be a great match, if they get time to flesh out a story. Assuming Rose wins the battle royal, it makes sense to juxtapose her with the young lady that could end up as the top babyface in the women’s division. Plus, Riho owns a pinfall victory over Rose and the AEW crowd is a bit more familiar with her, so while Shida winning would be cool, keeping Riho’s momentum going is the right call.

It’s a tough match to call but Dean agrees with Lauren though.

Dean: Riho vs Hikaru Shida will go one way, regardless of whether reports the winner will compete for the vacant women’s title are true. Riho is a great wrestler, but Hikaru Shida is a star. AEW is going to give her a huge push. I don’t say that as a knock on Shida’s in-ring ability—she’s an excellent wrestler—just as an acknowledgment that when she wins, her charisma and maturity will have contributed to the booking. I suspect this match is gonna get some “both these girls” chants and both women will be popular members of the women’s roster going forward. But Shida is winning.

What do you think? Drop a comment below with your picks to win this weekend at All Out and be sure to check back with Bell to Belles for AEW news.