Thekla has consistently demonstrated her dominance since arriving in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Making her debut last year, she swiftly ascended the ranks, capturing the AEW Women’s World Championship in a strap match against Kris Statlander in February. Her reign has seen her successfully overcome multiple challengers, including a triple threat defense at Double or Nothing.
Leading up to the Forbidden Door event, Thekla issued a direct challenge to the Japanese promotions Stardom and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). She publicly demanded that Stardom send their top competitor to face her for the championship, a challenge which Starlight Kid accepted. The two wrestlers delivered a compelling match for the enthusiastic audience at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
Intense Championship Bout
Throughout the contest, Thekla frequently taunted Starlight Kid, though there were moments where the challenger appeared to push the champion to her limits. Starlight Kid displayed remarkable resilience, refusing to stay down and relentlessly pursuing the goal of bringing the AEW Women’s World Championship back to Japan. As the match neared its conclusion, Starlight Kid focused her offense on Thekla’s knee, attempting to wear down the champion.
However, Thekla’s determination proved unwavering. She managed to escape a critical submission hold and narrowly avoided being pinned, demonstrating a level of tenacity not often required in her previous title defenses. Ultimately, the "Toxic Spider" delivered two decisive stomps, securing the pinfall victory and retaining her AEW Women's World Championship.
Controversial Post-Match Actions
With Stardom president Taro Okada present in the arena, Thekla’s aggression did not cease after the final bell. Skye Blue and Julia Hart emerged to support the champion. Hart provided Thekla with a pair of scissors, which Thekla then used to rip the mask from Starlight Kid’s head, before defiantly spitting into it.
Thekla proceeded to taunt Okada with the torn mask, even striking the wrestling executive with it. Her actions solidified her status as a formidable, albeit controversial, champion, as she not only retained her title but also added a symbolic "trophy" to her collection.