Thekla Arrives in AEW With a Statement-Making Debut Attack on Jamie Hayter

The AEW women’s division just got a venomous injection of chaos. Thekla, known to Japanese wrestling fans as the “Toxic Spider,” officially made her presence felt in All Elite Wrestling—launching a surprise attack on Jamie Hayter during the May 29 episode of Dynamite.

The ambush came just as Hayter, fresh off her loss to Mercedes Moné in the Owen Hart Cup final, was set to address the AEW audience about her next move. But before she could even speak, the lights dropped—and when they came back up, Thekla was in the ring, laying waste to the former AEW Women’s Champion. The message was loud and clear: Thekla is here, and she’s not wasting time climbing the ladder.

This dramatic entrance follows weeks of speculation. Thekla officially parted ways with STARDOM in April after a four-year stint that saw her evolve into one of the promotion’s most unpredictable and charismatic figures. Her exit was anything but quiet—following a loss to Sayaka Kurara on April 27, Thekla unleashed a chaotic farewell, attacking company officials, flipping off the crowd, and cementing her heel credentials on the way out.

Originally hailing from Vienna, Austria, Thekla broke into wrestling in 2017 in the underground European scene before gaining attention in the German independent circuit. Her career took a major leap when she moved to Japan, first wrestling for Ice Ribbon—where talents like Riho and Hikaru Shida also cut their teeth—before landing in STARDOM.

Aligning herself with Giulia’s Donna Del Mondo faction, Thekla captured both the Goddesses of STARDOM and Artist of STARDOM Championships. Her tag team success with Momo Watanabe and trios dominance alongside Giulia and Mai Sakurai earned her a solid reputation among joshi wrestling fans.

Rumors of Thekla making the jump to the U.S. swirled shortly after her STARDOM exit, with both WWE and AEW reportedly expressing interest. Ultimately, it was Tony Khan’s promotion that secured her signature—and now, it seems Thekla is wasting no time inserting herself into AEW’s title conversation.

What comes next for Hayter remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Thekla’s bite is every bit as dangerous as her bark. The “Toxic Spider” has spun her web in AEW, and the women’s division better watch out.