Ruby Soho’s time in AEW has been a strange one thus far. After a headline-making debut at All Out 2021, her stock has dropped a long way over the last year, with her struggling to get TV time despite being hugely popular amongst fans. This has all come down to her booking, which has left a lot to be desired. However, not all hope is lost, as AEW can still salvage her run and improve her booking, and this can be done in several different ways, with the Owen Hart Tournament being key to doing so.
Things Went Downhill Quickly For Ruby Soho In AEW
Things got off to the best start imaginable for Ruby Soho in AEW. After leaving WWE following a rather uninspiring run with the company, which was mostly full of unrealized potential, she wound up in AEW, looking to turn her fortunes around. At All Out 2021, she was the “Joker” entrant in the Casino Battle Royal, coming out to a huge ovation. The smile etched over her face was enough to show that she was overjoyed with the reaction.
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She would win the match, earning a spot at the AEW Women’s World Championship. On paper, this seemed like a wonderful start, but in reality, it was the worst thing to happen. Soho came in, jumped the line, and found herself main eventing the AEW Grand Slam edition of Dynamite.She would lose, leaving her to fall down the card. Instead of a storyline involving her climb back to the top, and instead of AEW exploring her character following the loss, she did pretty much nothing. Soho has had few storylines, mostly being a bit part player, and scraping TV appearances, with her mostly appearing on Dark and Elevation. Soho is nine months into her AEW career and has nothing to show, meaning that her booking needs to rapidly improve before she is broken beyond repair.
Ruby Soho Should Lose The Owen Hart Tournament
The Owen Hart Tournament looks to be a good way to get talents on television, with Soho finding herself as a participant. She was an early favorite going in, but this seems to largely be because it is a potential way to save her from the uninspiring run she is having. In the early rounds, Soho has impressed, notably in an enjoyable match against Riho. She is likely a dead set for the finals, with a potential showdown with either Britt Baker or Toni Storm in her future, which would each be entertaining finals.
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Soho winning would give her a big achievement, but as the Casino Battle Royal has proven, this doesn’t necessarily make for success in the long term. If AEW want to finally do something interesting with Soho, then a loss in the finals of the Owen Hart Tournament would be the best decision for the company to make – just as long as they follow up in the right way. If Soho loses the final, then the company should take influence from their very own booking of “Hangman” Adam Page, where a loss is just as important as a win for a character.
A Redemption Arc And Climb Up The Card Could Make Soho An AEW Star
A loss could see Soho lose confidence in herself, with her unable to win the big one, but instead of fading into the background once again, she can begin a fight to retain a regular place on TV, which could prompt strong character work. It would give more of a reason for fans to cheer her, rather than simply just being a babyface and smiling. A redemption story would be the perfect thing to get her back on track, as it is so easy to root for. AEW’s women’s division needs stars, and having a complex character is the way to building a strong babyface.
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If Soho eventually overcomes Britt Baker, preferably in a non-title feud, because the division needs more of those, then that could be the next step into her becoming a star. If she ends up losing to Toni Storm in the final, then the same can happen there. Eventually, she could come up against Jade Cargill, whom she lost against in the TBS Championship finals, and a win of that title could be huge if built up in the correct way, with Soho gaining big wins over time. If Cargill isn’t a champion, then Soho should face her anyway on her way to either winning the TBS or World Title, which would be the culmination of a long and arduous climb to gold. All this should take several months to play out – perhaps even a year – in order to build her up as a star in the women’s division, and to save her from the poor booking she has received thus far.
