[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/YLm1WIwBSuOx3Br8Y6Yb/1702295376338_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ibGZnZzJta3hqZjN1ZXUzdmo1NGRncXRzaGJtdG13bGMiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMzMCI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]
Currently in the midst of the longest ROH Women’s World Championship reign of all time, Athena has had one heck of a year. The only caveat to that is how relatively few wrestling fans have experienced it.
Despite the fact that other ROH titles are routinely defended on AEW programming, Athena hasn’t had a title defense on any of the parent promotion’s weekly shows in 2023. She did have a non-title match against Willow Nightingale on a July episode of Rampage (which she lost), and performed in multi-person tag matches at All Out and WrestleDream. But that’s it.
This suggests that Tony Khan is unwilling to have Athena on AEW shows, but he insisted during his media call ahead of ROH Final Battle — where Athena will put her championship on the line against Billie Starkz — that he’s in favor of using her wherever it makes sense.
I’m certainly open to Athena appearing in AEW and other places. I think it’s really great to have somebody who is a great ambassador for the company like Athena. One thing that has been consistent and great about ROH is that Athena has been very much a part of that show and focused on that show. Her work has been one of the strongest things about the show. If Athena is focused on ROH and AEW, that’s great too.
Khan noted that Starkz, should she win at Final Battle, would also bring a lot to ROH and AEW as champion. He also put over the work of both women in their current program, as well as that of Lexy Nair, on another part of the call.
What does Athena think? She told Wrestling Junkie’s Phil Strum, host of the Under the Ring podcast, that she’s more than ready to be back on AEW TV.
I think the next step for me would be to take a crack at AEW TV again. My first time around was not great, and I lost to the all powerful Jade Cargill. I think now, with me being the forever ROH Women’s Champion, I want to be a triple crown champion by the end of 2024. I’m going after all of the belts, the TBS Championship, Julia Hart. the AEW Women’s Championship, Toni Storm. I’m not content with just beating up these fragile broads left and right.
We’ll see if 2024 sees Athena, win or lose, on AEW broadcasts more often. Check out more from Athena with Under the Ring in the video above, or listen to the entire podcast episode below.