The women’s division in AEW feels like it has taken a few significant strides as of late. The women’s title-eliminator tournament featured some great matches and both Jade Cargill and Red Velvet put on a stellar show in the night’s opening contest at AEW Dynamite: The Crossroads.

AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida was recently interviewed by SI.com. During the discussion, Shida said that she knows the women’s division in AEW has the power to “carry the show.”

“We’re proving our division has the power to carry the show,” Shida says. “That drives me. And I always had a dream to work internationally since I was a child, so, I am living my dream right now.”

When AEW first began, there was talk of the promotion really emphasizing Joshi-style wrestling in its women’s division. This was hampered by the onset of the pandemic, however, and the reduced ability to bring in talent from Japan. Shida helped organize the recent AEW Women’s Title-Eliminator tournament bracket in Japan and spoke about that experience with SI.com as well.

“I’ve always felt that Japanese joshi are the best in the world,” Shida continued. “So introducing them to everyone is very meaningful for me. It’s kind of a way to brag about my home. I also want Japanese wrestlers to know they can reach the top of the world if they work hard. It’s not a fantasy. This is one of the biggest things I have done as champion, and I’m proud of it.”

Shida continued to say that main event’ing a PPV or Dynamite are her goals.

“The main event for a pay-per-view and Dynamite are always my goals. I’ll continue working hard for it until it comes true,” she said.