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At AEW’s Double or Nothing 2022 PPV, Athena made her debut to a big ovation, with the former Ember Moon settling quickly into her new home. Following a TBS Championship match, in which Jade Cargill defeated Anna Jay, Athena came to the aid of the babyfaces, with Kris Statlander also in the ring too. Along with Statlander and Jay, the three women faced off with The Baddies faction, with a feud between the two trios looking to take place over the coming weeks and months. Cargill is still undefeated in AEW, with a big talking point being around who should defeat her, especially since her TBS Championship win. There is an argument to be made that Athena should be that person.
AEW Can Rectify WWE’s Mistakes With Athena
After developing a good reputation on the independent scene, Athena signed with WWE, becoming Ember Moon. She immediately took NXT by storm, becoming one of the most popular women on the entire brand. After picking up several victories, she found herself at the top of the card on the developmental brand, with just one woman standing in her way to championship gold – Asuka. Asuka was the reigning NXT Women’s Champion, who was on a multi-year undefeated streak. Until that point, no one seemed like a worthy enough star to defeat her, until Ember Moon came along.
WWE had Asuka dig down deep to clutch onto her undefeated streak, and a rematch was set up for the pair, with this seeming to be the perfect place to put over a new star as Asuka made the move up to the main roster. However, Asuka would use underhanded tactics to keep hold of the title. With the way Asuka retained, it seemed logical that another match would take place, with Moon winning. However, it wasn’t long until Asuka was called up to the main roster, relinquishing her title. Her undefeated streak would ultimately be ended in an unceremonious fashion on the main roster, and Moon’s eventual NXT Women’s Title win felt underwhelming after not being able to defeat Asuka.
There is a similar scenario at hand when looking at Athena’s AEW introduction. She has recaptured her reputation, and entered the company to a lot of fanfare, with an undefeated champion in her sights. This is a chance for AEW to succeed where WWE failed with Athena, although they must be careful in how they go about doing it.
Athena Needs To Earn Her Spot In AEW Before Winning A Championship
There are plenty of talented women on AEW’s roster, many of whom haven’t been given an opportunity to properly shine, due to the division not getting too much time on weekly television to tell in-depth stories. The likes of Ruby Soho, Kris Statlander, Leyla Hirsch, and many more have all suffered at times from a lack of focus and spotlight. Therefore, it is important that Athena doesn’t jump the line straight away.
AEW has examples within its own company of how Athena should be built. When looking at the men’s division, CM Punk came into the promotion in the hottest way imaginable, but before he got a world title shot, he wrestled consistently for many months, suffering some setbacks here and there, but eventually picked up enough victories to earn his spot at the top of the card, with it not feeling forced. A similar route should be taken with Athena.
Athena Should Defeat Jade Cargill, But Not For A Few More Months
Cargill has been protected a huge amount since signing with AEW, and the company has done a great job of holding off on her being defeated. This should continue, and her reign and streak should be pushed as something truly special for many months to come. A route AEW could take is for Athena to challenge Cargill in the near future, but come up short, perhaps in a match where Cargill cheats to win. This should then lead to an arc in which she fights from the bottom, earning victories and becoming more at home in the company, with her feeling like a true part of AEW rather than just a new signee coming in.
Eventually, a few more months down the line, when she has put on good performances, increased her support, and earned a shot, she should then get another match against Cargill. A match on a PPV, with Full Gear 2022 being a vague target, would be the perfect place to host a big title change. After that long as champion, Cargill won’t be affected in the slightest by a loss, but it will do the world of good for Athena, and it would make her feel like a babyface star that the AEW women’s division desperately needs.