AEW’s Willow Nightingale To Miss Japan Booking This Weekend

Willow Nightingale will no longer compete at Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling’s Summer Sun Princess event due to issues that prevented her from traveling to Japan.

Nightingale had been scheduled to face Mizuki in one of the featured matches at Korakuen Hall on July 18. TJPW announced that she has been pulled from Saturday’s show after her flight was canceled. The promotion said other travel options were explored, but none would get her to Tokyo in time for the event, forcing a late change to the card (via F4WOnline).

“Although our company has been working to arrange an alternative flight, it has become impossible for her to arrive in time for the start of the event, so she has been forced to withdraw from this tournament,” TJPW wrote. “In her place, Chris Brooks will make an emergency appearance and face Mizuki in a singles match. We appreciate your understanding.”

With Nightingale unable to travel, TJPW confirmed that Chris Brookes will now face Mizuki in a singles match. Summer Sun Princess will stream live on Wrestle Universe.

Shortly after the announcement, Nightingale addressed the situation on X. She explained that a travel issue midway through her journey kept her from reaching Tokyo. She apologized to fans who were looking forward to the match and said she was disappointed that it couldn’t happen.

“I tried to exhaust every option, but a flight issue in the middle of my travel day has prevented me from making it to Tokyo in time. I’m sorry to fans who were looking forward to our match. Heck, *I* was really looking forward to it but I still l want to face @mizupyon3 one day!”

Mizuki shared a similar message, saying she hopes the two will eventually meet in the ring despite this weekend’s cancellation.

“I definitely want to fight you again someday, Willow 🫧 I miss you 🥲💖”

The match would have marked Nightingale’s first appearance for TJPW since Grand Princess 2025. At that event, she defeated Miu Watanabe before returning her focus to AEW.

Nightingale returned to AEW television on the July 8 edition of Dynamite, where she won the Women’s Casino Gauntlet Match to earn the next shot at the AEW Women’s World Championship. AEW has since confirmed that she will challenge Thekla for the title at Redemption on July 26 in Montreal. The championship opportunity follows Nightingale’s return from the shoulder injury that previously forced her to vacate the AEW TBS Championship.

ウィロー・ナイチンゲール、7月18日後楽園ホール大会欠場のお知らせ／瑞希の対戦相手はクリス・ブルックスに変更https://t.co/YVXWkSVopc#tjpw#ddtpro#tjpwSSP26 pic.twitter.com/2gXIGjpFJz

— TJPW 東京女子プロレス (@tjpw2013) July 17, 2026