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AEW Star Reflects On Backlash To Recent Scary Spot

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An AEW star has looked back on a spot which, whilst everyone walking away safely, looked like it could have all ended very badly.

On the 13th January 2023 edition of AEW Rampage, Tay Conti and Anna Jay of the Jericho Appreciation Society faced off against the team of Ruby Soho and Willow Nightingale. Whilst the latter team was victorious, that wasn’t the main talking point of the match.

During the contest Ruby Soho was left extremely bloodied, and there was concern for Anna Jay after she took a powerbomb off the stage through a table.

In a discussion on Rene Paquette’s The Sessions podcast, Willow Nightingale has discussed the match, holding herself to a high standard and also showing immediate concern for the health of her opponent.

The toughest part for me, is that I like to uphold my work and what I do in a wrestling ring to a certain standard. That includes the way I execute moves, the safety of my opponents, and generally if I feel like it clicked. How it flowed, did it feel right? At the end of the match, I definitely knew that it was something very special. Obviously, Ruby was bleeding like crazy. I looked at her and was like, ‘You look awesome,’ right in the middle of the match. I am like, ‘What a badass.’

Then, the table spot with Anna. That has been a big thing. Before getting anybody’s response to it, it was a thing where, when I walked back through the curtain, I was immediately like, ‘Where is Anna? Is she okay?’ She was like, ‘I’m fine. I’m going to the doctor right now, they have to check me out, but I’m okay.’ ‘Are you sure?’ Checking with everyone else, talking to our producer and they take us back and stuff.

Those were the two things I was most worried about. It left me very emotional because I felt like I was just worried about the other people I was in the ring with and I don’t think that I had upheld the elements that I expect from myself.

Willow Nightingale went on to talk about how there can be initial anxiety after a match, but there’s an additional round when you’re on Rampage as the match is taped two days before it airs on television.

Anytime I’m on Rampage, there is a second wave of anxiety that hits. Yes, there is the show day chaos and you’re wrapped up in everything you’re doing, but before you go out, you get the butterflies. ‘It’s showtime, time do the thing, I don’t know how it’s going to be,’ and then it’s over. Then, you have to wait two more days to wait and see how everybody reacts and it’s gut wrenching, ‘what’s the response?’ That’s a different nerve.

With thanks to Fightful for the transcription.