Riho was successful in her return.
In her return to AEW, the first-ever AEW Women's Champion Riho picked up the victory over NWA Women's Champion Serena Deeb.
The back-and-forth bout concluded with Riho countering Detox, leading to a series of reversals that ended with Riho catching Deeb in a Gedo clutch pinfall for the victory.
The match marked Riho's first AEW match since March 18, 2020. She has been active in Stardom during the pandemic.
Riho will meet Thunder Rosa in the semifinals on the USA side of the bracket. Rosa advanced by defeating Leyla Hirsch in her first-round matchup.
THESE WOMEN ARE TOO GOOD #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/WPAGNEE9fi
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) February 18, 2021
WHAT A MATCH!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 18, 2021
WATCH #AEWDynamite NOW on @TNTDrama pic.twitter.com/y5Ml177LNZ
On Monday, AEW held the first round of the Japan bracket. Four women advanced, setting up the semi-finals on that side of the tournament. If you missed any of the action, you can view results and highlights, as well as watch the full show, by clicking here.
The tournament will continue on Monday, February 22 with the final two first-round matches on the women's side of the bracket (Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose, Britt Baker vs. Anna Jay) and the semifinals of the Japan side of the bracket (Yuka Sakazaki vs. Emi Sakura and Ryo Mizunami vs. Aja Kong). The four matches will air on YouTube.
Keep up with everything happening on AEW Dynamite with Fightful's ongoing coverage. After the show is over, check out the Wednesday Night Wars podcast for a full review of AEW and NXT by clicking here.
