This Friday night, August 21, Ring of Honor will have its second pay-per-view of the year Death Before Dishonor. Before her rubber match with Willow Nightingale, we had the opportunity to talk to the “Fallen Goddess” about her ROH title reign, and her love of minions, Willow Nightingale and much more.
Since this match has been announced we have seen you attempt to get out of this match against Willow, would you say you are scared of Willow?
Athena: Scared is not a word that I would use on any level. I just don’t understand the entitlement. I put this woman through two of the best matches of her career — she got lucky one time (on AEW Collision in the Owen Hart Tournament). Go back and see what I said on TV. I said I would entertain the thought of having another match against her. Am I afraid of Willow Nightingale? Not even a little bit.
You are currently 31-0 in ROH TV and you have been one of the only members of the ROH roster to compete every week. Would you say you have proven yourself to be the most dominant ROH Women’s Champion of all time?
Athena: Yes, I would. Like you said I am 31-0 on ROH TV and I have proven myself week in and week out that I am one of the best that ROH has to offer.
You posted on Twitter that you have your Minion costume and you want everyone to dress up as Minions this Friday, why?
Athena: For a while now I have been thinking of something to call my fans and I felt like it just fit. I mean who doesn’t love the Minions between the rides, the movies, and the TV shows — I just love the Minions. So what better way to show some support to your “Fallen Goddess,” your forever reigning ROH Women’s Champion than to dress up like a minion. I just wanted something where the fans can interact across the board and be a part of a special entrance that I kind of crafted myself.
Compared to when this title was introduced by Maria Kanellis Bennett in 2021, where do you see the women’s division as compared to then?
Athena: I am the Ring of Honor Women’s division and we can’t talk about it. I am truly grateful that Maria and everyone else involved with that put the ROH Women’s division on a pedestal at that time. Let’s not forget about the Ring of Honor originals that were there. Alexis Laree aka Mickie James, Sara Del Ray, Allison Danger, Lacey, Daizee Haze, Sumie Sakai, there were so many women that came before that I feel they don’t get their rightful dues because they are the reason why Women of Honor started.
Honestly, I am just honored to be a part of that legacy even though I am creating my own. I am grateful to be a part of something that when I was on the independent scene I craved to be a part of Ring of Honor on so many levels. I forgot Mischief as well and she is the whole reason why I got to Ring of Honor. These women I have tried to live up to their legacy while promoting my own and that is the best thing that I can do.
Do you wish that you were on AEW TV more?
Athena: Who wouldn’t? I am open to everything in the wrestling scene. I love Ring of Honor and I love the platform that I have there, but who wouldn’t want to do more. Honestly, I get it people aren’t stepping up to fight the Ring of Honor Women’s Championship. If these little porcelain huskies want to step up in Ring of Honor have at it. I am still waiting for someone that is brave enough to challenge me on AEW TV but as of right now everyone seems to be hitting those five d’s of dodgeball on your girl.
You have had great matches on TV with Skye Blue, Kiera Hogan, Willow Nightingale amongst others, is there anyone else on your radar who you’d want to face on the ROH roster?
Athena: It’s not who I want to face, it’s who wants to face me. At the end of the day that’s it. My door is always open. I never deny a challenge. I am trying to put Ring of Honor and the women’s division on the map and that is my entire goal and I can not do that by myself. So anyone that is brave enough to step up, I am down. I am down, I will beat them into the ground and show them what is up.
Where do you see the Ring of Honor product as a whole?
Athena: I think it is still growing and I love the fact that it is still growing. We are making a name for ourselves. Ring of Honor has this amazing legacy just from the very beginning with the American Dragon, Nigel McGuinness, Claudio, Sara Del Ray, all these women, Seerena Deeb, and I can go on and on and I am Cliff Noting right now, but it started out as such a pure wrestling product and we are only trying to continue that legacy as I said once before. It is still growing, is it amazing? Absolutely like you don’t have pay-per-views for any run of the mill company, right we do consider this a world wide product. That is what we need to do to show the world exactly what they are missing.
Do you feel like your match with Willow deserves the main event spot on the show Friday night?
Athena: Absolutely. We worked our tails off for that spot not just for ourselves, but for the entire women’s division. I think we deserve this is our third match together and every match that has come before we have torn down the house. I think the most important thing is that it is not only for women’s wrestling it is also for ourselves. So what about you, why do you think it deserves to be the main event?
I think it deserves the main event because you show up each and every week and you always work so hard. Since you are 31-0 now I believe that deserves to be showcased in a huge way and what better way than the main event of a pay-per-view.
Athena: Thank you, see I think we should call you a minion. I think you are a part of the minion army that I am collecting now.
Well you already called me a minion on the convention scene. I thought we moved past that.
Athena: No, of course not. I am looking to make shirts that say I am a minion. We are going to make this into a whole big thing.
So what minion number are you making me.
Athena: Alright let’s see you have been here pretty early on you know what about Minion number 204 how does that sound.
Okay 204 sounds pretty good to me.
Athena: Alright there you have it we officially have our minion number 204 sorry for all those who wanted that number it is no longer available.
Comments are closed.