She won last year’s Casino Gauntlet when AEW held its big annual stadium show in Texas, but Athena was not on the card for All In’s return to Wembley Stadium this past Sunday. Speaking to the Dallas Morning News this week, Ring of Honor’s Forever Women’s champion didn’t sound like he plans to miss any more of Tony Khan’s biggest shows.
Athena announced its time for her to officially graduate to TK’s “main roster” in AEW.
“It’s finally time for me to make that forever as well.
“I feel like I’ve given
the world to Ring of Honor. I’ve given years of my career being the Forever ROH champion. I’ve given so much to be the longest reigning champion in the modern day era, the most violent champion of the era. But when it comes to me, I want to do more with AEW. So this means more.
“I want to be AEW Women’s Champion. I want to be AEW TBS champion. I want to be an AEW tag champion to show the world that everything that I’ve done, holding a whole company on my back, climbing to the top of the mountain with it, was all worth it.”
Her Forever run in ROH has been a great calling card for Athena, but she’s also felt like a shark in a goldfish tank for at least the past few years of her 1,362 days-and-counting run with the ROH Women’s title. A lot of fans are more than ready to see Athena become a Wednesday and Saturday night regular.
Is this quote a sign she knows Khan is going to make her a full-time member of the AEW roster, or is she gently trying to force his hand? Is this the right time for Athena to make the jump, with her frenemy Mercedes Moné just crowned Women’s champion at All In?
Athena told another outlet in her hometown of Dallas, WFAA, she’ll give the CEO a little bit of time before she comes for the crown:
“I feel like me and Mercedes are very respectful of each other’s careers. Former tag partner, maybe current tag partner — who knows? I remember sitting at home watching her win, with a broken nose of all things, and just thinking, ‘wow, she’s an absolute star.’ Like, everything that I feel like she’s been through, in that moment, she finally got the big one.
“Mow that’s not to say that I don’t want a crack at the big one. It’s just to say, like, mutual respect is there. She didn’t come after my forever or always championship. I might let her have a couple months or something before I decide to go after hers, but you know what, villainy is in the eye of — the morals, yes, mmm [laughs]…”
Who you got in that Owen Hart Cup ‘25 semi-final rematch, whenever it happens?
