Yuka Sakazaki defeats Penelope Ford at the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) match at the HEB Center in Cedar Park, Texas on July 14, 2021. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)
Yuka Sakazaki is a professional wrestler and signed to Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, where she is a former Princess of Princess Champion and Tokyo Princess Tag Team Champion, and is also signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). In 2019, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced that Yuka Sakazaki would wrestle at Double or Nothing, competing in the six women tag-team match. She participated in a triple threat match at Fyter Fest on June 29, 2019, losing to Riho after Riho pinned Nyla Rose. On the February 5, 2020, Sakazaki made her debut on Dynamite defeating Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. and being attacked by her after the match. After that, she stopped appearing for the promotion due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 15, 2021, Sakazaki made her AEW return to participate in the AEW Women's World Championship Eliminator Tournament. In the opening round of the Japanese side of the bracket, Sakazaki was victorious over Mei Suruga. She defeated Emi Sakura in the Japanese bracket semifinals on February 22 to advance to the next round, where she lost to Ryo Mizunami on an all-women's B/R Live special on February 28. On July 12 Sakazaki returned back to competing in AEW shows and she appeared on AEW Dark Elevation facing KyLinn King which she was victorious. Then on July 14 special edition episode of Dynamite being Fyter Fest, was Sakazaki's first time appearing on Dynamite in 16 months, Sakazaki faced Penelope Ford and again was victorious.
Penelope Ford (Olivia Hasler) is a professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling. She is also known for her work in Combat Zone Wrestling. On January 8, 2019, AEW announced that Ford would be joining the company alongside Joey Janela later in 2019. She later began managing her real-life boyfriend Kip Sabian as they feuded with Janela. On October 9, 2019, Ford had her first match in AEW on the first ever AEW Dark episode where she teamed up with Bea Priestley against Allie and Britt Baker where they were defeated. Ford picked up her first win in AEW on the March 3 episode of Dark where she teamed with Britt Baker to defeat Yuka Sakazaki and Riho.
On May 23, 2020, Ford had her first ever PPV match on Double or Nothing facing Kris Statlander which Ford was a last minute replacement in the match due to Britt Baker being injured where Ford was defeated. On the June 10 episode of Dynamite, Ford teamed with Nyla Rose to defeat Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander where she pinned Shida thus earning her an AEW Women's World Championship match at Fyter Fest. At the event, Ford was unsuccessful at capturing the title as she was defeated by Shida. At All Out, Ford announced that she and Sabian were getting married while also teasing that they will reveal who his best man is for the wedding on the following Dynamite. On the 9 September episode of Dynamite, Miro was revealed to be the best man for Sabian and Ford's wedding.
All Elite Wrestling was founded by CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan, AEW is a new professional wrestling league headlined by Cody & Brandi Rhodes, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), Chris Jericho, Sting, Hangman Page and Jon Moxley. For the first time in many years, AEW is offering an alternative to mainstream wrestling, with a roster of world-class talent that is injecting new spirit, freshness and energy to the industry.
AEW began airing its weekly show on TNT. The show, “AEW DYNAMITE,” is Wednesday’s top wrestling show and attracts the youngest wrestling audience on television. AEW’s multi-platform content also includes “AEW DARK,” a weekly pro-wrestling YouTube series, “Being the Elite,” a weekly behind-the-scenes YouTube series, and “AEW Unrestricted,” a weekly podcast series.
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Photos by Ralph Arvesen
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