AEW has added a new talent to their already stacked roster. As announced by AEW EVP Cody Rhodes, Superstar Red Velvet is now officially “all elite.”

Red Velvet (whose real name is Stephanie Cardona) was a reputed indie wrestler before she started appearing on AEW Dark. Her first match was against Brandi Rhodes and Allie, which she lost.

A regular at the Dark tapings, Velvet finally rose to prominence when she teamed up with Cody to face Shaquille O’Neal and Jade Cargill at Dynamite. Ironically, she replaced her very first opponent, Brandi, as Cody’s partner as she was revealed to be pregnant.

The team of Velvet and Rhodes lost the match after Cargill pinned the latter. However, this signing proves the Dynamite loss was certainly not the end of Red Velvet.

As Rhodes revealed on his Twitter account, Red Velvet proved herself to Tony Khan during the high-profile tag match. The AEW boss updated Velvet’s contract right after the match.

Cody Rhodes reveals: Red Velvet is all elite!

The ‘American Nightmare‘ gave us an insight on Velvet’s signing, “At The Crossroads @AEWonTNT event squaring off against @SHAQ & Jade…Red stepped up in a huge way! @TonyKhan saw what over a million people saw that night and upgraded her contract. She’s ALL ELITE now! Let’s stir it up, my friend.”

However, this news comes as a surprise to many, but not in an expected way. With her inclusion in a heavyweight match with Rhodes, O’Neal, and Cargill, many fans thought AEW already signed her to the company.

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Nevertheless, this signing proves how AEW is trying its best to empower the women’s division. They have been criticized for the lack of opportunities for women in the past.

AEW already had its first women-starred main event two weeks ago. In a “light out” match, Thunder Rosa defeated Dr. Britt Baker as both of them drew blood. Some WWE legends even called it “the greatest match in AEW history.”

Now that Velvet is officially an AEW member, we see her going after Jade Cargill with full force. Their rivalry is yet to be explored. When Brandi comes back following the childbirth, Velvet and she could team-up. Brandi has congratulated Velvet on Twitter following the signing –

We can’t wait to see what AEW has in store for Red Velvet. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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