Championship matches are in the air in AEW, with the trios tournament, the upcoming pay-per-view and all the drama surrounding the AEW World Championship. The gold rush is set to continue before tonight's Dynamite taping, with a championship match with international implications reportedly set for the Dark Elevation taping.

Hikaru Shida To Defend Regina di Wave Championship

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Per reporter Will Washington on Twitter, tonight's AEW Elevation taping before Dynamite is scheduled to see Hikaru Shida defend the Regina di Wave Championship. Shida won the title on her most recent return to Japan earlier this month, defeating Suzu Suzuki at Pro Wrestling Wave's 15th Anniversary show. This is Shida's second reign with the joshi promotion's top title, and this upcoming bout on Dark Elevation is set to be her first defense.

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Shida is reportedly set to defend the belt against joshi veteran Emi Sakura. This match has been building over on Dark and Elevation, with Shida defeating Sakura at the start of the month, meeting in tag team encounters since. The latest episode of Elevation saw Sakura teaming with a returning Maki Itoh to defeat Shida and Skye Blue, with some post-match hostilities setting up this title match. Plus, the two have a long history together, dating back to the earliest days in Shida's career.

The bout will mark Sakura's second championship match in AEW, having challenged Riho for the AEW Women's World Championship at 2019's Full Gear. It also adds Pro Wrestling Wave as yet another promotion to the long list of connections AEW has made over its relatively short existence, strengthening its connection to the Japanese wrestling scene even more.

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