8 Toughest Women In AEW History, Ranked

While it may seem like many female wrestlers in AEW are living their best life, what fans may not realize is that some of these stars have had to overcome incredible adversity in both their personal and professional life to get where they are right now.

Everyone deals with numerous struggles in their life in one way but it was these wrestlers’ perseverance that allowed them to turn their life around. Their stories are really inspirational for those fans who look up to them as role models.

Britt Baker

When Britt Baker first joined AEW, she couldn’t get over as the face of the division as AEW wanted. But a heel turn, which was actually a suggestion from Kenny Omega, changed things around and made her one of the best things about the women's roster.

Baker is also a dentist in real life, and this takes up most of her time. Working two jobs at once, and both being equally demanding isn’t an easy task at all. For perspective, Baker works at the dental office Monday to Tuesday, before leaving for Dynamite, comes back, and then works Thursday and Friday and she does this every week.

Serena Deeb

Many fans already know that Serena Deeb had issues with alcohol in the past. She was once part of CM Punk’s Straight Edge Society as well but got released from WWE because she was caught drinking publicly. Serena overcame her demons but then got arrested for boating under the influence in 2012.

Although since then, she hasn’t had any public issues with alcohol or other drugs and this is generally seen as a huge victory, especially in the world of wrestling where many wrestlers end up getting spiraled into their addictions.

Tay Melo

When fans first learned about Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo's relationship, she received a lot of online abuse from fans. Some even went as far as to blame her for ending Sammy's engagement with Pam.

Both wrestlers later cleared things up and basically said that fidelity wasn't involved. Tay Melo is undoubtedly a talented wrestler, who faced public backlash for no good reason but still didn't let it get to her.

The Bunny

Like many other wrestlers, The Bunny also suffered from depression and anxiety for a long time. Up until some time ago, she even felt embarrassed to talk about these issues but she eventually decided to get help. She sought therapy and started taking medications. At one point, she also suffered from imposter syndrome and couldn’t even perform in the ring.

Last year, she tried to raise awareness about mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month and asked people to talk about their issues and get help and leave the stigma surrounding mental health behind.

Nyla Rose

A few years back, Nyla Rose made headlines when she became the first-ever open transgender wrestler to get signed with a major American wrestling promotion. While this was a pretty big deal, it also made Nyla a target of a ton of unasked hate online. While most wrestlers and fans support her and recognize her talent, unfortunately, there are some people that mock her gender identity and refuse to acknowledge it.

Fans may remember that one time someone even brought a transphobic sign on Dynamite, which was aimed towards Rose. Despite facing all this negativity every day, Nyla still keeps a very positive attitude and this has been inspirational for many people.

Riho

Riho was the inaugural AEW Women’s Champion. She has a ton of fans, and this includes many of her colleagues as well. Riho hasn’t been part of any controversy, she’s also a really talented performer but despite that, she’s a victim of online harassment from a lot of people.

Some months ago, Riho deactivated her Twitter account to escape some of the negativity. She continues to work and put a smile on people’s faces, and it’s very hard to do that when people are constantly saying mean things about you online.

Toni Storm

Another wrestler who was the victim of getting personal images leaked online was Toni Storm. Someone hacked her and posted her private stuff on social media, which publicly humiliated Storm. She later deleted her Instagram and Twitter profile because of that. On the Chasing Glory podcast, Storm revealed her struggles with depression and anxiety which she got diagnosed with when she was just 16. She also urged everyone to normalize mental health talk.

Saraya

Everyone knows that Saraya didn’t have the best last decade. From career-ending injuries to substance abuse issues, a toxic relationship as well as a leaked sex tape, Saraya’s life was a complete mess. She even considered suicide at one point due to the stress caused by the leaked sex tape. Saraya also suffered baldness and stress-induced anorexia as a result. She sought therapy, and it took her a while to get better. Saraya also returned after retiring from wrestling a few years back, and it shows how badass a person she is in real life.