All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan addresses the star power of Jade Cargill, which explains her continued reign as the first and only TBS Champion. Cargill is undefeated with a 42-0 record since debuting in AEW in March 2021. At the AEW Full Gear PPV, Jade defeated Nyla Rose to retain the title, and she took back the TBS Championship belt that Rose stole and took possession of weeks earlier, claiming to be the "TBS Champion."
Screen Rant took part in the ROH Final Battle media briefing with Tony Khan, who answered our question about Jade Cargill's undefeated run as TBS Champion. While Khan didn't indicate his future plans for Cargill, he did shed light on how he and AEW value Jade as the TBS Champion:
Tony Khan: Jade is such a great champion for us, and she has so much star power. She has that crossover star appeal. When Jade goes out carrying the AEW TBS Championship to mainstream places like big sporting events, everybody takes notice. And I've been there to see it firsthand and see how people gravitate toward her. Even people who aren't wrestling fans become interested in wrestling when they see someone with so much charisma and such a unique stage presence as a champion representing our company. So I have a lot of respect for Jade and I think he's a great champion.
Jade Cargill Is About To Hit One Year As AEW TBS Champion
On January 5, 2023, Jade Cargill will be TBS Champion for one year. Cargill defeated Ruby Soho in the finals of the tournament for the newly-created title. Since then, Jade has defended the TBS Championship on AEW Dynamite, Rampage, and on pay-per-view. Top stars like Athena, Tay Melo, Anna Jay, and Willow Nightingale have all fallen to Cargill. Cargill has overpowered all of her opponents, and AEW has built her up to be an unstoppable top attraction. A good part of Cargill's stage presence is also her love of cosplay, and she has suited up as Storm of the X-Men, She-Hulk, and Cheetara of the Thundercats. Her entourage dubbed "The Baddies" further enhance her presentation.
Tony Khan's acknowledgment of Jade's star power, especially when she represents AEW in the mainstream, explains why Cargill continues her dominance as TBS Champion with no end in sight. However, that same dominance may be a knock against Cargill's TBS Title reign because she's been established to be so far above her challengers. Contrasted with the more hotly-contested AEW World Women's Championship held by Jamie Hayter, which has former champions like Toni Storm and Dr. Britt Baker, DMD, as well as Saraya, vying for the title, AEW fans expect Jade to squash her every challenger, which can rob drama from her title defenses.
Hopefully, 2023 will see a further evolution of Jade Cargill where she meets a test worthy of her and the TBS Championship. Cargill does a phenomenal job representing AEW as TBS Champion, but she has also never faced the top stars in the AEW World Women's Title picture like Baker, Storm, or Saraya. Meanwhile, Khan knows AEW can count on Jade Cargill to bring fresh eyes to his company, especially from the mainstream and non-wrestling fans intrigued by her star power.
AEW Dynamite airs Wednesdays @ 8pm ET on TBS. AEW Rampage airs Fridays @ 10pm ET on TNT.