10 Wrestlers Having An AMAZING 2023 (… That Nobody Is Talking About)

A debate could be stirred on r/SquaredCircle and the result would be ubiquitous; Athena is at the peak of her career as ROH Women's World Champion.

Being positioned as a leader of the rebooted brand came following an ineffectual AEW run. She was no longer a hot commodity within a month of arriving in the company, let alone by the time she tangled with Jade Cargill at All Out just over three months later, so sending her to what is essentially AEW's second brand was a necessitated juxtaposition. Something about 'The Fallen Goddess' tagline brought out the best in Athena who, indisputably, hasn't performed at this level since her best days in NXT.

All of her matches in ROH in 2023 have either been for the Women's World title or have been contested under Eliminator/Proving Ground rules; the title rules her sustenance in Ring of Honor. The melodrama associated with AEW's ongoing women's title sagas is stripped back in ROH, a brand renowned for its pure wrestling artistry, and it's particularly striking in Athena's contests. Contests against such stiff, potent strikers as Miyu Yamashita were gripping, riveting affairs because as hard as Yamashita hit, Athena hit back harder, so paradoxical to her WWE self. Few others in ROH have mastered this artform, which makes Athena's work more heavily emphasised, if not under the radar.