AEW's Willow Nightingale opens up about winning title, All In expectations ahead of Mercedes Mon match

Nightingale defeated Thekla for the title at Redemption back in July while her All In opponent – Mercedes Moné won the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament to earn a chance at the championship.For Nightingale, she said the feeling of being a champion didn’t initially set in for her until the "Dynamite" show following Redemption.COMPLETE PRO WRESTLING COVERAGE ON OUTKICKWillow Nightingale enters the ring during the Women's Pro-Wrestling "Stardom" at Yokohama Budokan on May 18, 2024 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.(Getty Images)"I think initially when it happened, I didn't entirely process it, especially like I always feel hung over the day after I wrestle just because it's so, like, one, I'm getting a little bit older, but two, like you really are just putting everything out there," she told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
"You're giving your all and sometimes on show day I do my best to stay hydrated, but sometimes it just takes it all out of you.It dehydrates you a little bit.
So, I'm like trying to deal with physically recovering from a match like that because, Thekla, she's tiny, but she's tough.She gave me hell.
She made it really hard for me to get this championship.And my parents were there and then you immediately get thrown into the press conference into the scrum with Tony Khan, which is exciting.
I love all that.I love all the hustle and bustle.
I wouldn't be in this crazy wrestling business if I didn't love the hustle and bustle."But you don't really get that moment to let it sink in.But the ‘Dynamite’ following Redemption, the Detroit crowd just showed me so much love and that's really when it hit me.
I was like, ‘Holy crap, I'm the world champion.’ So, it has hit me.But I think, going into All In, if I get like a successful title defense under my belt, especially against like Mercedes, I'll feel kickass, unstoppable.
That will be like the test."All In will take place on Aug.30 at Wembley Stadium in London.Nightingale is a ...