It goes without saying that the first half of 2026 has been very kind to All Elite Wrestling.
The seven-year-old promotion has been on one of the strongest runs of business since it began in 2019, with Dynamite and Collision regularly praised for their consistent quality. And while pay-per-views have typically performed well, 2026 has been particularly strong on that front, too, with Revolution in March, Double or Nothing in May, and Forbidden Door in June all being hailed as being among the best shows AEW has ever put on.
The roster has continued to improve, as well, with perhaps the strongest collection of talent not just in AEW history, but arguably pro wrestling history. And considering how loaded the roster was heading into AEW All In Texas, that is saying something. It is expected to only get stronger ahead of AEW’s return to Wembley in London, England, for All In 2026, as well, in the wake of many high-profile “departures” from WWE in early May.
One AEW star, in particular, has really gotten to shine in 2026, effectively taking a division on their back amid a variety of injuries and talent stepping away for personal reasons resulting in reported plans from January looking almost unrecognizable by the end of June.
The star in question is The Toxic Spider, herself, Thekla.
Since making her AEW debut in May 2025, Thekla has been a mainstay of the women’s division hot off the heels of dramatic departure from Stardom where, in kayfabe, she was fired by Stardom President Taro Okada. She would spend the next year making a rapid ascent, becoming AEW Women’s World Champion after only nine months with the company while leaving chaos in her wake no matter where she appears.
President Okada learned this the hard way on multiple occasions, including at Stardom American Dream 2026 over WrestleMania week in Las Vegas, Nevada, and again at Stardom The Conversion two months later.
Thekla thrives on the chaos she and her Triangle of Madness stablemates Skye Blue and Julia Hart create in AEW and beyond with an devilish glee. Where others would scream or fear at their own darker impulses, Thekla laughs and embraces her own madness.
This isn’t unlike The Joker, DC’s Clown Prince of Crime and the embodiment of chaos and madness to juxtapose Batman’s order and control. A being of unbridled, uncontrollable madness that even other villains are afraid to confront or seek aid from because Joker is just as likely to turn on them just because he can.
Perhaps no better description for Joker came in 2008’s The Dark Knight, widely hailed as one of the greatest comic book/superhero movies ever made, from Michael Caine’s Alfred –
“Some men aren’t looking for anything logical. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with.”
“Some men, just want to watch the world burn.”
This description fits Thekla in AEW to a tea. Since arriving, she has been a source of chaos for the entire women’s division and has enjoyed every second of it. Whether its simply attacking someone from behind or making an entire mockery of Starlight Kid at the Forbidden Door media scrum and again a few days later on Collision, Thekla will do what she wants, when she wants, to whoever she wants.
And, ironically, this was something AEW’s women’s division needed.
It wasn’t that it lacked talent. Far from it, especially when at the time Thekla arrived. Toni Storm, Mercedes Mone, Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, Megan Bayne, and Athena are just a handful of the names already in AEW at the time Thekla debuted, elevating a division that had struggled to get off the ground since the company started.
For all that talent, Thekla was still able to make an immediate splash by being The Joker the division needed. A true chaotic wildcard who couldn’t be trusted by anyone, save for one or two like-minded individuals. She will play well enough with others when she has to, but even in those instances, there’s looming doubt that Thekla won’t turn on allies not named Skye Blue or Julia Hart.
It injected a level of unpredictability to the division because it was never really clear what Thekla would do next. All fans knew was she wanted to be on top of the division, but weren’t always sure how she’d go about getting there until she did.
And like The Joker, Thekla’s eventual defeat will only feed that chaos and make life worse for anyone caught in her sights. It could be argued the only thing holding her back is how much she is enjoying her time as champion. Once that ends, things could get much worse for the rest of the division as nothing will be holding Thekla back from making the roster’s life a true nightmare until she gets the title back.
It is the same vicious cycle that has consumed Joker for decades in the comics and beyond, and it is one that he has no intent on trying to escape. Instead, he only wishes to expand it by giving the rest of the Justice League and DC’s other heroes a taste of the madness Batman has to deal with regularly.
AEW’s relationships with Stardom, New Japan, CMLL, and several other promotions means nowhere is safe from the Toxic Spider’s poison, either. As mentioned, Stardom and Okada continue to fall victim to Thekla who continues to have the upper-hand in hostilities. CMLL’s Amazonas could find themselves in a similar situation before long if Thekla’s gaze turns south of the border.
All that is clear if nothing and no one will contain the madness of Thekla, and that’s just what fans want.
Minimum Wage Nerd 