Ruby Soho is a name that many fans would consider when the term underutilized is used in pro wrestling. In WWE, she never quite got solid ground under her feet in the promotion despite the Riott Squad being popular with fans. In AEW, it has been an improvement but to a degree – many fans still believe Soho is not used to her best potential.
The fact of the matter is that Ruby Soho can go in the ring and not only that, she is an alternate punk star that connects with the wrestling audience in a way some talents could only dream of. Soho debuted in AEW to much fanfare at All Out 2021, appearing with the Rancid song of the same name also. She would win the Casino Battle Royal but would come up short in an AEW World Title match with Britt Baker shortly afterward. Since then, Soho entered two tournaments, reaching the finals of both the Owen Hart Foundation tournament and the TBS Championship tournament. She would lose to Britt and Jade Cargill respectively in these matches. Fast forward to today and Ruby is currently on the shelf with a broken nose in two places and is set to undergo surgery.
Broken nose surgery usually takes 4-6 weeks to recover from, but we have seen wrestlers return earlier than that in the past from the injury. Soho suffered the injury almost a year to the day from her AEW debut when Tay Melo hit her finisher, the Tay-KO. Ruby’s nose would be broken in two places as mentioned, being rushed out of the ringside area immediately after the finish. The likelihood is that Ruby will return to AEW with some kind of protective mask until her nose fully heals from the procedure.
The question is – what is Ruby going to do when she returns to AEW? As mentioned above, many fans view Soho as an underutilized talent and believe she should be champion in the promotion. The rest of this piece will aim to show how AEW could elevate Soho to a championship level standard with the right booking and the right story for fans to get behind Ruby.
With the timetable for the injury return and with the option of a protective face mask, we could see Soho back at the beginning of November. If there was a particular date in mind to bring her back, I would decide to have her return at the AEW Dynamite taping in Baltimore on November 2nd. This would give her plenty of time to heal and rest up while also giving fans the chance to miss her for a little while. At the taping, I would put Britt Baker, Tay Conti and Anna JAS attacking freshly turned babyface Jamie Hayter. Saraya is also present and as the heels look to corner her, Rancid’s famous song will play. Soho sprints to the ring to make the save with her nose, laying out Anna.
The following week, Ruby returns to action vs Anna JAS. Match is a simple affair, with Ruby going over. An important note for this match would be Anna locking in the Queenslayer choke hold with Soho almost going out before reversing it into a pinning predicament, stealing the win from Anna. Immediately after the match Britt Baker would blindside Ruby. Britt lays her out and demands a match with Soho at Full Gear so she can send her away for good. Baker would be more than vocal about how she wants to rid AEW of Soho, reminding Ruby that she could never beat her when it counts. The following week in Bridgeton, Ruby goes one on one with Tay Melo and avenges her injury with Baker on commentary. Ruby wins, setting up the big match with Baker at the PPV.
Full Gear comes and goes with the pair getting 20 minutes at least for their match. The finish of the match would be simple, Britt would once again remove Ruby’s mask and as Rebel attempts to distract the referee, Ruby turns the tide and uses the mask herself, pinning Baker for the win and getting a high profile win. The next Wednesday on Dynamite, I would suggest that the pair agree to a rematch, with Britt whining about Soho cheating, with Soho happily pointing out that Baker always cheats. The two agree to a lights out match at the November 30th edition of Dynamite where once again, Soho goes over.
This would put Soho on a run that would elevate her to the top of the women’s division in quick fashion. It would also open up the door for another title challenge from Soho. Next, I would suggest Ruby wins a number one contenders match for the TBS Championship with any number of different AEW talents. I would have Jade Cargill still holding the championship into January of 2023, with the pair squaring off for the title at AEW’s Seattle Debut on January 4th.
When it comes to the title match, it would be simple. Once again calling back to the suggested spot from the Anna JAS match, Jade attempts to repeat the finish of the first match between the pair, where the first ever TBS Champion was crowned. She would hit Jaded from the top rope, with Ruby exploding out of the pin with an emphatic kickout. Give fans a reason to care about her. Show her grit, her power and the fact that she just will not die. With beating Britt, Tay and Anna does would put her in a position where defeating Jade would push her into the mainstream as a former WWE star and AEW Champion. This would also free up Jade to challenge for the AEW Women’s World Title in the new year.
What do you think? Should we see Ruby Soho as champion sometime soon? Let us know in the comments section and on our social media pages.
Follow Corey at @CoreyBrennanBS on Twitter
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