Former Stardom standout Thekla has officially arrived in All Elite Wrestling, making a stunning and impactful debut on the May 28, 2025, episode of AEW Dynamite. Her arrival came at the expense of former AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter.
Hayter was in the ring preparing to share her thoughts following her loss to Mercedes Moné in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final at AEW Double or Nothing this past Sunday. Before Hayter could speak, “Thekla’s music and entrance video suddenly hit.” The “Toxic Spider” then “attacked Hayter and left her laying, posing afterward.”
News of the 32-year-old Thekla’s AEW signing had circulated for approximately three weeks. This followed the end of her multi-year run with the Japanese promotion Stardom in late April 2025 and the appearance of cryptic black and red spider vignettes on AEW programming, which announcers did not acknowledge. These teases fueled speculation that she was heading to the United States to sign with AEW, which reports indicated had been in progress for some time. Her vicious assault on Hayter marks a dramatic entry into the AEW women’s division.
