Felix Upton on March 14, 2026
Steph De Lander is officially back in the ring — and she wasted no time capturing championship gold.
De Lander competed at ACW Aftershock on March 14 in Poughkeepsie, New York and walked out as the new ACW Women’s Champion after defeating Indi Hartwell and J-Rod in a triple threat match.
The victory crowned De Lander as only the second ACW Women’s Champion in the promotion’s history. Hartwell entered the match as the inaugural titleholder and had held the championship for over 300 days before dropping the belt.
The title win also marks De Lander’s first match back after a lengthy absence from in-ring competition. She had been sidelined following neck surgery after her last match in August 2024, when she teamed with Kon and Madman Fulton against PCO, Rhino, and Xia Brookside on an episode of TNA iMPACT!.
Her return comes amid a turbulent stretch that included her departure from TNA Wrestling. De Lander previously stated she had been medically cleared by outside doctors but claimed the promotion would not approve her return to the ring.
After leaving the company earlier this month alongside her husband Mance Warner, De Lander has now made it clear she’s ready to resume her career — and she’s already doing it with championship momentum.
The ACW Aftershock event also featured several notable names from around the wrestling world, including appearances by Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Mike Santana, and Killer Kross. Winning a title in her first match back sends a strong message about De Lander’s comeback after nearly two years away from the ring.
Do you think Steph De Lander’s championship win could be the start of a major comeback run following her TNA departure? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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