Statlander to defend AEW Women's World Title vs Storm at WrestleDream

AEW has added a women's world championship match to its WrestleDream pay-per-view, confirming that Kris Statlander will defend the AEW Women's World Title against Toni Storm on Saturday, October 18 at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. The match was announced during Wednesday's sixth anniversary episode of Dynamite after Storm issued a challenge and Statlander accepted following a later tag match victory.

Storm set up the title bout by defeating Tay Melo on Dynamite and immediately calling for a championship match. Statlander, who captured the Women's World Championship at All Out in a four-way that included Storm, answered the challenge after she and Darby Allin defeated Wheeler Yuta and Marina Shafir of the Death Riders in a mixed tornado tag main event. The announcement brings WrestleDream's official card to three confirmed matches, including AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page defending against Samoa Joe and Jon Moxley facing Darby Allin in an I Quit match.

The Statlander-Storm program is unfolding amid a larger storyline involving the Death Riders stable and its attempts to recruit Statlander. In late September, after Statlander retained the title against Mina Shirakawa, she...