For those that were watching NXT during the years of 2016 to 2017 knows how dominant Asuka was. During this time she won the NXT Women’s Title and also had an undefeated streak that lasted until she made it to WrestleMania. One of her most popular feuds in NXT was with then-Ember Moon, now Athena.
Athena is currently the ROH Women’s World Champion. A title she has held now for three and a half years. However, back in 2017, she was not able to capture the tite from Asuka, but the two knew how to have a rivalry. They first met in SHIMMER before WWE, but they are a memorable moment in NXT history.
While speaking with Fightful, Athena says she wants at least one more match with her rival.
“Oh, man. Like Asuka is one of those people, that’s a forever rival for me. Like when we were back on the indies, we actually ended up wrestling at Shimmer Women’s Wrestling. That’s where we met. We had one of the hardest hitting matches I think I’ve had in my career then, and then fast forward to WWE NXT for the NXT Women’s Championship. Asuka is my yin to my yang.
I really hope she’s not stepping away. I’ve actually been trying to get a hold of her because I lost a whole bunch of people’s numbers when I switched my phone and everything. But man, talk about someone who’s just the epitome of what legendary status is or what a living legend is. I, to some extent, don’t feel like people really understand how much she’s done for wrestling as a whole. Like from grinding on the indies to being like an independent contractor in Japan to getting signed to WWE. Not only that, like just excelling in WWE in every form and facet from match to match, but never changing who she was as a person, a character.
I couldn’t be more proud, more happy for her. I hate her in that same breath, of course. I also feel like I have to have one more match eventually and hope that this isn’t it. This isn’t the long goodbye, if you will. But like, Asuka’s one of those people that I wouldn’t be who I am as a performer, as an athlete, if she wasn’t in my life. If she wasn’t on the opposite side of the ring. I don’t think I would have gotten anything really if I didn’t have that experience with her.”
Athena will be defending her ROH Women’s World Title in a Survival of the Fittest match against five other women. This takes place at ROH’s Supercard of Honor on May 15.