In late January, Ring of Honor (ROH) and Metroplex Wrestling came together to produce a special Global Wars event, which aired exclusively on HonorClub. Athena, the current ROH Women’s World Champion and co-owner of Metroplex Wrestling, shared details about how the idea for this cross-promotion was initiated by AEW and ROH owner Tony Khan. The event arose from Athena’s desire to avoid conflicting with AEW’s Texas residency and Khan’s quick thinking led to a collaborative solution.
Athena explained that she originally intended to run Metroplex Wrestling’s “Who Runs The World?” show in Texas during January. However, because AEW was holding a residency in the state and she did not want to run competing shows, she approached Tony Khan to find a way to work around the scheduling conflict. It was during their discussion, which she recalled happened around 1 AM, that Khan proposed combining forces through a Global Wars event, a concept Athena had not previously considered.
Behind the Scenes: Athena’s Meeting with Tony Khan
Athena recounted the intense conversation with Tony Khan about the possibility of co-producing the Global Wars show. In her own words,
“That was a very wild conversation. I remember going to Tony Khan and I was like, ‘Hey! We run MPX. I’m one of the co-owners of MPX and I exclusively book Who Runs The World?’ But we run a weekly wrestling show in Dallas in Bedford, Texas every single week, and it’s very draining at times and very tiring and then we hear this residency’s coming in and normally, we’re like, ‘Okay, we’re not gonna run against it’ but I was planning a ‘Who Runs The World?’ show in January originally. So I went and I had a meeting with (Tony), who’s the best boss ever, and I’m telling him, I was like, ‘I really wanted to do Who Runs The World? in January. Is there a way we can work around that?’ And he goes, ‘You know what? How about Global Wars? MPX/ROH Global Wars…’”
The host of the interview pointed out that the Global Wars idea was entirely new to Athena, prompting her to respond,
“No, not even a little bit. He’s like, ‘Your guys are always so great and respectful. They work hard when they’re here. Let’s do a Global Wars on Ring of Honor. Ring of Honor’s your show and we’ll do Athena’s minions versus ROH,’ and I was sitting there and he was like, ‘Are you okay?’ And I was like, ‘Thank you so much!’ I truly was not expecting any of that and that just shows how in love Tony Khan is with pro wrestling. That just shows the type of person he is. He doesn’t have to hand out these opportunities, especially to people that are my students but he trusts in me, he trusted my vision, he trusted my coaching and kind of sitting alongside him, I remember we sat there at 1 AM and we were talking about good matches for people and I mean, he had a ton of amazing ideas, like Exodus (Prime) versus Lee Moriarty… And I wanted my boys Surf and Turf with the harpoon! But, seeing all the feedback coming back from all the guys and gals that did amazing. Vert Vixen, and Maya (World), Hyan,”
Athena acknowledged the complicated history involving some performers but emphasized how well everyone was represented during the event:
“But, I really thought everyone was heavily showcased and it was really awesome and we actually got a little card subject to change because of the snowstorm that happened, and it was just really awesome and I’m just incredibly thankful, one, to kind of sit beside T.K. and see his vision and see his brains and see how his brain operates and I learned so much from him, watching how he does do AEW, watching how he does do ROH and being the forever ROH Champion, I do get to sit alongside him and see kind of his vision for everything, and it’s really eye-opening and it’s a learning experience for me. I’ve been a wrestler for 20 years at this point in time. But being a booker is still very new for me. Balancing and managing talent is still very new and I have an amazing team at Metroplex Wrestling, who does that while I’m at work doing AEW Collision…”
The transcription was provided courtesy of Black Rasslin’ with an H/T to Fightful.
Athena’s Role as ROH Women’s Champion and Recent Title Challenges
Athena has held the ROH Women’s World Championship since December 2022. Her championship tenure coincided with high-profile appearances, including a notable challenge for the IWGP Women’s Championship at NJPW The New Beginning USA. During that event, Athena faced the champion Syuri but was unsuccessful in capturing the IWGP title.
The Significance of the Global Wars Partnership
The cooperation between Metroplex Wrestling and Ring of Honor for the Global Wars event represents a strategic alliance that benefits both promotions and their talent. Tony Khan’s willingness to collaborate and create unique booking opportunities demonstrates his passion for professional wrestling and his trust in up-and-coming bookers like Athena. This partnership provides exposure for Metroplex Wrestling’s roster, allows ROH to showcase diverse talent, and offers fans fresh matchups born from creative synergy.
Athena’s experience working closely with Khan, especially witnessing his approach to both AEW and ROH booking firsthand, serves as a crucial learning opportunity for her growing role as a booker and co-owner. With wrestling schedules and promotions evolving rapidly, such cross-promotional events could become more frequent, expanding the horizons for talent and audiences alike.
