When Willow Nightingale is coming out to the ring, you know it.
The fun music hits, the fans in the crowd go crazy and Nightingale comes down the aisle with complete joy and a big smile. And there’s plenty for her to be happy about right now.
Nightingale defeated Thekla at Redemption to become the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) women’s world champion and she’s set to be in one of the marquee matches at the company’s biggest show of the year, All In, when she squares off against Mercedes Moné in a title defense (as long as she doesn’t lose to Maya World on “Collision” this Saturday).
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Willow Nightingale enters the ring during Women’s Pro-Wrestling “Stardom” at Yokohama Budokan on May 18, 2024, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Getty Images)
But how does Nightingale keep that joy when it feels like the world is falling apart? She explained to OutKick in a recent interview that it’s not always easy to keep smiling but her upbringing and knowing what her mother went through helps her stay resilient.
“I mean the truth is — it’s not always like that. I am a person,” Nightingale said. “Human beings experience human emotion and I’m no exception. I think the difference is I was really fortunate in growing up in a household that had a lot of love and support. I saw my parents struggle with a lot. My mom moved to this country when she was 24 years old with no other family. She had two kids already. She was pretty alone when she came here, but she did it for better opportunity.
“And even when I saw my parents struggle financially or through whatever, my mom was like, ‘We always have each other. No matter what happens in this world, you guys are going to be there for each other. There’s always something to look forward to. There’s always something ahead, even if things are tough right now.’ And so, for me, that is how I always think about it.”
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Willow Nightingale, current AEW Women’s World Champion, attends the premiere of Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso” Season 4 at BAM Harvey Theater in New York, N.Y., on Aug. 4, 2026. (Lev Radin/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect)
Sometimes, it’s the little things that help Nightingale remind herself that nothing is too big to overcome.
She recalled a moment on a roller coaster at Disney World where the universe seemed to be telling her all is well.
“It’s like when I’m in a really, really good moment — this is going to sound funny or maybe not as heavy as everything else I’m saying — but I was just on the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ ride at Disney this past weekend and I got ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World,’ and it was my second time getting that song like I got a few years ago,” she said. “But that experience is something that moves me and makes me feel just like I’m left in awe. So being on that ride for those few moments, I remember thinking to myself, ‘Hold on to this feeling because in a week’s time, you’re probably going to be kicking your own butt and you’re going to be feeling terrible. But you have to remember that there’s little moments like this.
“Something as silly as being on a roller coaster to one of your favorite songs. It’s going to be so beautiful and you will experience something like this again. Hold on to this. Enjoy it now.’ And I try to do that when I wrestle because this is what I love. This is what I’ve dedicated my adult life to. And I get to see how I impact people and other people impact me. And that is the thing that brings the smile of ‘nothing matters, smile anyway’ smile of Willow Nightingale.”
Willow Nightingale enters the ring during the Women’s Pro-Wrestling “Stardom” at Yokohama Budokan on May 18, 2024 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Getty Images)
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As of now, Nightingale will defend the AEW Women’s World Championship against Moné on Aug. 30 at All In. The show is set to take place at Wembley Stadium in London.