Mercedes Moné is the Woman to Take the ROH Women's Title off Athena

In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena was a chief Olympian deity associated with wisdom, craft, and warfare. The same can be said of Ring of Honor's "Fallen Goddess" Athena. This force of a woman has held on to the Ring of Honor Women's World Championship for over a year by prioritizing dominance and adapting to every opponent's arsenal. But after defeating the likes of Nyla Rose, Maya World, Heidi Howitzer, her own Minion Billie Starkz, and others, fans feel that Athena's championship accomplishments have not received the right level of attention.

One way that this wrong could be fixed is if a new challenger steps up to Athena in a way that pulls the wrestling community's attention. No one fulfills this need more than AEW's newest signee, Mercedes Moné. Let's tap into how The CEO's hunger for gold could put her in the right spot to dethrone the pillar of Ring of Honor's Women's division.

A New Rivalry Explored

If Mercedes Moné were to surprise the Ring of Honor audience by challenging Athena, the wrestling community would receive a brand-new rivalry from seasoned competitors. Bank in 2018, both Athena and Moné were two of the best main-roster talents in WWE as Ember Moon and Sasha Banks. With all of the evolution taking place for the women's division at that time, there was still a lot inconsistency with the booking of both women.

One large blind spot was the fact that Mercedes and Athena never had a proper rivalry. Though they would clash in multi-women's matches a few times, Sasha and Ember would never truly have a one-on-one experience. These stars have come a long way since then. They have evolved their in-ring acumen and watching them face off would be a clash of the titans. Imagine watching an episode of Ring of Honor or AEW Dynamite and Mercedes calls out Athena!

Or in a twist of events, the Fallen Goddess seeks out the CEO to make her Ring of Honor Women's World title the one to watch. WWE may have missed a great opportunity in not having the two former NXT Women's Champions face off, but Ring of Honor and All Elite Wrestling have the chance to do something brilliant if Athena and Mercedes decided to face each other.

More Visibility for Ring of Honor's Women's Division and The Promotion Itself

Another positive effect of Mercedes challenging and defeating Athena for the Ring of Honor Women's World Championship is the exposure of Ring of Honor to a newer audience. Since All Elite Wrestling CEO Tony Khan acquired Ring of Honor and gave the promotion its own streaming service HonorClub, it has not had the visibility that it once had on television. Though Athena has made strides with the title and her reign has been critically acclaimed, the biggest complaint from fans is that it is not showcased the way it deserves to be.

If Mercedes and Athena were to clash, it would bring a great amount of eyes to a promotion that deserves it. Moné has proved that her star power radiates, no matter what industry she is in. Bringing that type of aura to Ring of Honor would drive its price up. Her fanbase would faithfully follow and support her as she seeks to take Athena to the limit. Or if Mercedes had to work her way up to the chance to face Athena for the title, any woman that faces her every week would have an instant spotlight on them. Imagine the CEO climbing up the ladder by facing Queen Aminata, Trish Adora, Kiera Hogan, or Diamante. Any of those matches would be classics and it would give those women a chance to show their skills against a history-making warrior. That notion would also stand if Mercedes took the title off of Athena. The women's division would rise to the occasion of the former Legit Boss.

Golden Role Model 2.0?

One of the best parts of wrestling in 2020 was the work of Bayley and Mercedes Moné as the Golden Role Models in WWE. As two bad girl best friends, they sought to wreak havoc over the women's division with underhanded tactics and unchecked insanity. One of their greatest accomplishments was holding every major women's title at the same time.

Every week, fans tuned in to see who would step to them and ultimately fall. What if Mercedes did the same thing at All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor? Moné has not held a championship since she lost the IWGP Women's title at Stardom's All-Star Grand Queendom to Mayu Iwatani last April. She also lost her opportunity in the finals of the inaugural New Japan STRONG Women's Championship tournament to fellow AEW star Willow Nightingale. The CEO is more than likely hungry for gold again and that could drive her to pursue every title in AEW and ROH. She's been watching Willow like a hawk since she declared her intentions for the TBS Championship and "Timeless" Toni Storm could be in danger as well. As Mercedes would collect title after title, Athena could witness this and feel more protective than ever. Or in her bravado, the Fallen Goddess would dare Moné to come get her championship. A CEO power trip would make entertaining television and both AEW and Ring of Honor would benefit greatly from it.

Athena has reinvented herself and proven that she could be a top champion in any company. She has also uplifted the future of women's wrestling with her guidance. Her Women's World Championship reign should be celebrated and highlighted more on larger platforms.

The idea that we live in an age where Black women like Athena can be excellent and substantial champions in wrestling is something that should be deeply appreciated. After everyone that she has faced, who better to give Athena a final hoorah than the prolific Mercedes? The hard-hitting, technically sound action would be generational and the right type of story could propel the Ring of Honor women's division into the stratosphere. Does a goddess fall to a CEO? Maybe.