In October, Zyda Steele unexpectedly revealed that her WWE ID contract would not be renewed, signaling her departure from the show with potential new plans ahead. Soon after, rumors emerged of AEW’s interest in signing Steele, and both parties engaged in negotiations, though no official agreement was announced.
However, Steele made an appearance on last night’s special “Ring of Honor” episode, hinting at a possible move. Backstage, she was seen with Layla Gray and Lexi Nair after Gray won a singles match against Trish Adora. Steele, calling herself “the real deal,” praised Gray’s performance and challenged her to a “villain versus villain” match. Gray, amused yet accepting, shook hands but warned Steele, “I could be a real bad guy if I wanted to.”
There is no confirmed date for Steele’s ROH debut, but two upcoming shows are likely candidates. One is Thursday’s ROH annual “Honor Club” taping, which already features two semifinal matches for the ROH Women’s Pure Championship: Queen Aminata vs. Deonna Purrazzo and Billy Starks vs. Yuka Sakazaki. The other is ROH’s major year-end event, Final Battle, happening this Friday in Columbus, Ohio. The Steele vs. Gray match could be part of the main card or the Zero Hour pre-show, joining three other women’s matches including the ROH Women’s Pure Championship finals, Mercedes Mone defending the ROH Women’s TV Championship against Red Velvet, and Athena defending the ROH Women’s Championship against CMLL’s Persephone.
Fan Take: This development is exciting for AEW fans as Zyda Steele’s presence in ROH could signal closer ties and fresh talent exchanges between AEW and ROH, enhancing the women’s division. It also promises new high-stakes matches that could elevate the competitive level and spotlight emerging stars in professional wrestling.
