After weeks of taunting and building anticipation, Athena is officially cashing in her championship opportunity. During Thursday’s episode of AEW Collision, it was made official that “The Fallen Goddess” will challenge “Timeless” Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship at the upcoming AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view in London, England.
Athena Calls Her Shot After Pinning the Champion
Athena earned her shot at the title by winning the Casino Gauntlet match at the All In event this past July. Since then, she has been playing mind games with the champion, teasing when and where she would decide to cash in her contract. On this past Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite, Athena and Toni Storm were on opposite sides of a tag team match. During the bout, Athena managed to score a pinfall victory over the world champion, a move that seemingly prompted her to make her decision. The match was made official on Collision, setting the stage for a massive championship encounter at Forbidden Door. Athena’s ROH Women’s World Championship, which she also holds, will not be on the line in the match.
A First-Time-Ever Singles Encounter
While Toni Storm and Athena are two of the most accomplished wrestlers in the women’s division and have shared a ring seven times in their careers in various tag team and multi-person matches, the upcoming bout at Forbidden Door will be their first-ever one-on-one encounter. This adds a layer of unpredictability and excitement to the championship match. Athena, a dominant force in both AEW and ROH, will be seeking her first reign with the AEW Women’s World Championship. For Toni Storm, this will be another high-profile defense in what is already her fourth reign with the title.
A Stacked Forbidden Door Card
The match between Storm and Athena adds another major championship bout to the already stacked card for Forbidden Door, which takes place on Sunday, August 24. For Toni Storm, this will be her fifth successful title defense if she wins, and her first since her huge victory over Mercedes Moné at the All In event. The clash between two of the division’s most compelling and distinct characters promises to be a highlight of the night.
Current AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door card:
- AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Swerve Strickland
- AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate vs. Winner of Tag Team Title Eliminator Tournament
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. TBA
- AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm vs. Athena
