Meet ‘Legit’ Leyla Hirsch- The Latest AEW Signee and a Former Amateur Wrestler

In recent weeks, Leyla Hirsch has been impressing wrestling fans with her incredible performances in the AEW ring. The former amateur wrestler proved she deserved a spot in the AEW Women’s division, and Tony Khan has provided it. As of today, Leyla Hirsch is All Elite.

Who is Leyla Hirsch?

Born in Hillsborough, New Jersey, Hirsch began training to be a professional wrestler at 14. She is also a former amateur wrestler, similar to the likes of Kurt Angle, Chad Gable, and Jeff Cobb. She competed in weight classes ranging from 55 to 59 kgs.

Leyla received the nickname ‘Legit Leyla’ for her tremendous wrestling skills. From submission holds like the cross armbreaker to incredible suplexes, and her perfect moonsault, Leyla’s definitely ‘legit’.

Hirsch made her professional wrestling debut in 2017 for a CZW Super Show IV. After two years in CZW, Hirsch received an opportunity to tour in Japan.

There, she competed in the World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion in 2020. She won her debut match against Itsuki Hoshino and Saya Lida, and three months later, she left the promotion.

Hirsch made her AEW debut in October 2020, wrestling AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida. Although she lost to Shida, everyone noticed the immense power and talent held by Leyla Hirsch. The next night, Hirsch debuted on Dynamite, where she registered another stellar effort against the NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb.

After her breakout performances against Shida and Deeb, Hirsch wrestled multiple times on AEW Dark where she racked up wins. She wrestled Britt Baker and Penelope Ford on Dynamite, where she lost, but looked very impressive.

Her reward for these outstanding performances was a spot in the AEW Women’s Title Eliminator tournament, where she lost to Thunder Rosa in a great first-round bout.

Is AEW Women’s Division on the rise?

With the success of the AEW Women’s Title tournament and Hikaru Shida’s magnificent reign, the AEW Women’s Division is improving at a rapid pace. The signing of Leyla Hirsch is tremendous news for the promotion as well and is undoubtedly going to be a contributing factor to this growing division.

On the upcoming episode of Dynamite, Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa will feature in the first-ever women’s main event in Dynamite’s history. Miki Itoh and Riho main evented the first episode of AEW Elevation. Speaking of Itoh, the joshi pro-wrestlers arriving in America are also beneficial to the roster.

AEW’s Women’s Division is looking as good as the NXT’s women’s division. Shida may not be as good as Io Shirai, but with an excellent supporting cast, AEW might triumph over NXT in this department as well.

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