Willow Nightingale Reveals When She Officially Signed Her AEW Contract

The announcement of Willow Nightingale signing with AEW was met with a very positive reaction. The "Babe with the Power" was welcomed into the AEW family following a victory over Leila Grey during the live October 21 edition of "AEW Rampage," in the same building she once worked as an extra. From Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida, AEW announcer Tony Schiavone unveiled Nightingale's signing, with an official "Willow Nightingale is All Elite" image placed behind the newly-signed talent that "was overwhelmed with a flurry of different emotions." On a recent edition of Fightful's "Grapsody" podcast, Nightingale revealed she officially signed her full-time contract earlier that day. "I signed the contract that morning," she said. "They had emailed it to me and I was standing ringside when I did the signature on my phone and all this stuff."

Nightingale further explained that moment "was very full circle" for her with the announcement occurring at Daily's Place, where she helped fill the crowd, "made all the noise and supported each other, and were there for hours at a time" during AEW's television tapings amidst the pandemic. Nightingale felt she was "putting in so much energy and effort," wondering if there would ever be a true payoff for her.

Though she soon earned a pay-per-appearance deal with the company, Nightingale didn't feel a true part of the team. "I still felt a chip on my shoulder because I hadn't gotten the All Elite graphic, it just didn't feel like I was fully welcomed in yet," she said. Once the announcement was finally made, though, the fans, and Nightingale herself, celebrated AEW's official acquisition.