There are just some threats you cannot and will not overcome. Death, hatred, love, rage, illness, war, famine, the DMV. To overcome these, one must be powerful, powerful enough first to survive, and powerful enough second to leap over the hurdle.
To date, there is no such woman to surpass the longest reigning AEW Champion, Jade Cargill.
Sure, many have come close, so deliciously close, but the undefeated streak of 59-0 continues, as she heads into her 25th defense at 2023’s Double or Nothing against the woman who seemingly has her number, Taya Valkyrie. 500 days as champion, holding the TBS Championship, and it will not end with a whimper, but a bang.
Debuting during an open mic night on an episode of AEW Dynamite, Cargill challenged Cody Rhodes and his wife Brandi, with the man from every commercial ever, Shaquille O’Neal by the debutant force’s side. Though she lost this bout, and though Red Velvet replaced Brandi, nothing was the same for the company or for her going forward.
She’s inevitable like that.
What Jade Cargill has done during her short time as a wrestler already is incredible. Her accolades, already mentioned, make her feel like such a dominant force, that it’s hard to imagine most people unseating her from her throne. That confidence is earned when consistently performing when booked when you look the way she does.
Tall, domineering, and chiseled like a statue, Jade Cargill captures the feeling that Chyna once had during the Attitude Era, and like the X-Man, Storm. She’s…unstoppable. To have such an intimidating aura and to leave legions of fans thirsty, that’s something unteachable.
Among these intangibles is how she carries herself in her voice. She speaks as though she knows she can grab the world if she wanted to. That she knows nobody’s going to step up to her and that she deserves the best and will work toward it. She even speaks in a cadence that sounds very matter-of-fact, so sure, and so proud. When you’re at the top of your game, it’s hard to silence that.
Adding to this incredible presentation is her entrance is the music and the lightning on her tron. That sleek, sexy blues screaming from a guitar casts a spotlight on her.
With her aforementioned Goldbergian streak, Cargill has also learned from the best in the industry, from Dustin Rhodes to Bryan Danielson. Behind the scenes, she’s a project that has paid off. She’s at the point where people feel the run is stagnant because she is a force to be overcome, and it’s impossible thus far for someone to.
From the moment she entered the AEW TBS Championship Tournament and defeated the likes of Red Velvet, Thunder Rosa, and Ruby Soho, Jade was on a war path. Claiming the resources of Smart Mark Sterling, Stokely Hathaway, and her Baddies (now down to Leila Grey), she has been known to fight dirty to keep hold of her precious gold. Just when you think any contender has her number, she throws them off the mountain to climb back up again, and with a cackle as she does. These women are mere playthings to her.
To be clear, she’s earned her opportunities and her streak. It may be unpopular to some, but until someone comes around to threaten her position, she is going to continue getting paid. As long as her face remains plastered on commercials, social media, magazines, billboards, and production trucks, she is going to stay here.
Jade Cargill has even turned complaints into marketability. When fans declared her “green”, she dyed her hair green, wore green gear, and pronounced herself “green like money”. You cannot tell this woman anything that’ll strike her pride. She’s too headstrong and knows who she is.
Among her physique and accomplishments in standing, she’s also creative with her gear – going so far as to cosplay, be it embracing the winds of Ororo Monroe, Jade from Mortal Kombat, Cheetara from Thundercats, or She-Hulk, she’s embraced her inner nerd.
Being a nerd, of course, usually comes with high intelligence, and she isn’t short of that, either. Holding a social science degree and a child psychology degree, she’s beyond just simply being proficient and knowledgable in the ring thanks to her teachers. Another side hustle to mention is that she’s also a fitness model. When you look the way she does, you absolutely take that and own it. You take everything you have and maximize it to where you don’t have to prove your worth – you are your worth.
On top of all of this, she’s a wife and a mother and the love she holds in that is clear. On occasion, you will see her grab her daughter from the crowd (usually sobbing with joy into her mother’s muscular arms), and carry her backstage.
Jade Cargill is living the high life, isn’t she?
Well, with every storm comes drier days and a rainbow to threaten it. It just so happens that the wings of a valkyrie summon this change in weather.
The Canadian-born Taya Valkyrie is a formidable and powerful-looking wrestler on her own. Having been defeated by Jade Cargill by trickery, Taya seeks retribution. When under the stipulation she couldn’t use her own finisher, Road to Valhalla, as Jade and Mark Sterling declared it too similar to Cargill’s Jaded, she’s as angry and as hungry as ever on this new, big stage. Perhaps this sits as evidence that the champ is afraid and knows that Valkyrie has her number.
As the incoming Nevada night approaches for Double or Nothing, will her streak follow her, or will it stay in Las Vegas?
After all, storms can’t rage forever, can they?
