Athena, the reigning Ring of Honor (ROH) Women’s Champion, recently shared insights about her unexpected involvement in booking the Global Wars event alongside Tony Khan. During an appearance on the Black Rasslin’ podcast, she described how the idea to merge her MPX promotion’s show, Who Runs The World?, with ROH came about while AEW was visiting her hometown of Dallas, Texas.
The collaboration was sparked when Athena, co-owner and exclusive booker of MPX, proposed running her January show while AEW was in town. Tony Khan swiftly suggested transforming the concept into a cross-promotional Global Wars event between MPX and ROH, demonstrating his enthusiasm for wrestling and openness to innovative partnerships.
From Idea to Reality: How Global Wars Took Shape
Athena recalled the conversation with Khan as “very wild,” highlighting her initial plan to avoid conflicting with AEW’s schedule due to the demanding weekly wrestling shows MPX holds in Bedford, Texas. She met with Khan to explore scheduling options, expressing her desire to maintain her show’s timing. Instead, Khan offered a creative alternative:
“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…’” – Athena, ROH Women’s Champion and MPX co-owner
This suggestion took Athena by surprise, as she had not initially considered a joint event involving both promotions. Khan’s proposal to feature her MPX roster—referred to as “Athena’s minions”—against ROH talent demonstrated trust in Athena’s booking capabilities and an eagerness to spotlight her wrestlers on a larger stage.
Athena’s Reflections on Tony Khan’s Vision and Booking Insight
During their late-night discussions, Khan contributed several match ideas, highlighting his deep involvement in the wrestling business beyond his ownership of AEW and ROH. Athena recalled him brainstorming several standout matchups, including a bout between Exodus Prime and Lee Moriarty, as well as her desire to see her team Surf and Turf challenge with the harpoon move. Despite on-screen tensions between some performers like Vert Vixen, Maya World, and Hyan, Athena emphasized that everyone involved was showcased effectively.
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, ROH Women’s Champion and MPX co-owner
Athena described the experience of working closely with Khan as educational and inspiring. Despite her two decades of experience as a wrestler, booking and managing talent remains an area she is still mastering. She credited Khan’s guidance with expanding her understanding of running shows effectively and balancing creative vision with practical talent management.
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… – Athena, ROH Women’s Champion and MPX co-owner
The Ongoing Impact of Athena’s Role in Wrestling
Athena’s reign as ROH Women’s Champion since December 2022 has been marked by strong performances and consistent title defenses. Her dual role as a booked wrestler and promoter reveals a growing influence on the professional wrestling landscape, both as a competitor and a leader behind the scenes. The Global Wars event illustrates how innovative cross-promotional shows can bring fresh opportunities and exposure for emerging talent.
The event also faced logistical challenges, such as a snowstorm causing last-minute adjustments to the card, yet still garnered positive feedback from participants and fans alike. Athena’s partnership with Tony Khan offers a model for future collaborations that combine resources from different wrestling entities to create unique experiences for audiences.
With her expanding responsibilities and exposure to high-level booking strategies, Athena is poised to contribute more significantly to the wrestling industry’s evolution, bridging the gap between talent development and executive decision-making. Fans can anticipate further creative ventures stemming from her work with AEW, ROH, and MPX as she continues building her legacy.
