Penelope Ford sustained a serious injury during the Women’s World Tag Team Championship match on AEW Dynamite’s recent episode, where she teamed with Megan Bayne as MegaBad against the champions, the Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron). The incident occurred when Ford attempted a top rope moonsault onto Nightingale and Cameron, who were positioned on the floor outside the ring, causing Ford to appear hurt mid-move.
The injury forced modifications to the planned match outcome, with AEW reportedly changing the finish during the bout itself, although details about the original finish or the extent of the revisions remain undisclosed.
Expert Commentary on Ford’s Injury and Moonsault Technique
Wrestling Observer Radio hosts Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez discussed Ford’s injury in detail. Alvarez mentioned he had no further updates beyond Ford having a severely injured ankle.
“other than her ankle was badly injured.”
– Bryan Alvarez, Wrestling Observer Radio
Meanwhile, Meltzer shared that while no definitive news on Ford’s condition had emerged, insiders in AEW expressed hope for a positive outcome.
“I did get a message, and the message was essentially that, you know, they’re hoping for the best. It wasn’t like — there’s nothing definitive, but it wasn’t like [Tomohiro] Ishii.”
– Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio
Meltzer also addressed criticism directed at Nightingale and Cameron on social media for allegedly failing to catch Ford during the moonsault. He explained that many performers now attempt to land on their feet during this move, which contrasts with traditional practice.
“A lot of people who do that move come from a gymnastics background, and in gymnastics, you’re taught to land your feet. In pro wrestling, you’re supposed to not land on your feet. You’re supposed to have the fall broken by the person who catches you.”
– Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio
He further noted a recent trend where wrestlers, including women and men alike, increasingly prefer to land on their feet when executing moonsaults off the top rope, which has led to more injuries.
“But a lot of the women, and we’ve seen several get hurt — and there are guys now too who are doing a lot more landing on their feet.”
– Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Radio
The Risks Behind Moonsault Execution Styles
Alvarez described two primary methods of performing a moonsault: landing flat with a catch or landing on one’s feet with others falling. He suggested that despite perceptions of safety, landing on the feet can actually increase the danger involved.
“There are two ways to do the Moonsault. You either have to lay out and basically go down horizontally and hope people catch you, or you have to do the backflip, land on your feet, and everyone else just falls down.”
– Bryan Alvarez, Wrestling Observer Radio
“And that’s the way most people do it nowadays, I think, because they think it’s safer, but it’s not.”
– Bryan Alvarez, Wrestling Observer Radio
Alvarez highlighted that Ford’s moonsault was designed to land on her feet rather than be caught, which contradicted assumptions among some observers. He emphasized the inherent risk in the move’s dynamics.
“was not designed to be caught because she was going to land on her feet.”
– Bryan Alvarez, Wrestling Observer Radio
“I’ve seen people blame everybody else that’s in the match, but that’s not a Moonsault designed to be caught unless you want to be kicked right to the face because she’s rotating to land on her feet. So the point is, doing a Mooonsault off the post to the floor, at some point, you’re going to be hurt.”
– Bryan Alvarez, Wrestling Observer Radio
Impact of Ford’s Injury on AEW Match and Future Concerns
Due to Ford’s injury, AEW officials were compelled to adjust the match’s finish on the spot, highlighting the unpredictability and physical risks wrestlers face, particularly with high-flying maneuvers like the moonsault. The incident sheds light on the ongoing debate about move safety and execution styles in professional wrestling. Fans and industry insiders await further updates on Ford’s recovery and how AEW will handle similar situations moving forward.
