Athena Speaks On Double-Standard With Women's Wrestling
Athena has become reinvigorated in AEW as of late, demolishing all kinds of talent on AEW programming, securing her turn for the darker side with a recent attack on AEW official Aubrey Edwards. Her in-ring performances have been on the receiving end of some criticism and sparked discourse on social media, with Athena now adding her own thoughts to the situation.
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Athena Speaks To Backlash Over Hard-Hitting Style
Sparking from a squash match that pitted Athena against Jody Threat on an episode of Dark Elevation, there have been critics of Athena applying a harder-hitting style. Appearing on Busted Open Radio, Athena shared her thoughts and how the online reactions speak to an enduring double standard when it comes to women's wrestling. "People forget that the girls can hit just as hard as the guys," Athena explained. "I have to sit there and see Jon Moxley and Jericho...and all these guys hit the tar out of each other and I guarantee you, if I was a man, I feel like there wouldn’t be as much backlash or anything like that".
With Athena set to challenge Mercedes Martinez for the ROH Women's World Championship this coming Saturday at Final Battle, Athena also spoke to the personal importance of this match. "This is a full circle moment for me, this is what women’s wrestling is all about and this Saturday, we’re gonna go out there, we’re gonna hit the tar out of each other. I am going to beat the ever living crap out of Mercedes Martinez...I wanna do it just to show everyone that I’m not porcelain, I’m not a pretty plaything. I am tougher than nails. I can give it, I can take it and I’m gonna stand tall at the end of the day with that Ring of Honor Championship" (h/t to POST Wrestling for the quotes).
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Is Athena Justified In Her Opinion?
When it comes to the backlash that Athena has received for her recent performances, she is definitely making a lot of sense with her recent remarks. As conversations look towards the best matches of the year with 2022 soon coming to a close, there is sure to be a lot of praise for male performers for their hard-hitting matches, like Sheamus, Gunther, Eddie Kingston, Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley and beyond.
Meanwhile, the new AEW Women's World Champion Jamie Hayter has been the subject of praise among fans, with her in-ring style not too dissimilar from Athena, bringing power and aggression to the ring. There are definite inconsistencies with the discourse around these in-ring styles, and as usual, it is up to the fans to take a moment and consider what they enjoy and why before jumping to criticism.
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