A new number one contender for the AEW Women’s World Championship has been determined at AEW All In: Texas. After a chaotic Casino Gauntlet match, the former ROH Women’s World Champion, Athena, stood tall to earn a future title opportunity.
Entering the match as a late entrant, Athena made her presence felt immediately by targeting multiple competitors. Her path of destruction included delivering several powerbombs to Mina Shirakawa and taking out Thekla, Tay Melo, Kris Statlander, and Megan Bayne. The match also featured the surprise AEW debut of Syuri, who had a brief confrontation with the dominant Athena.
The final moments of the gauntlet saw Athena outlast a field that included Thunder Rosa, Willow Nightingale, and Queen Aminata. She secured the victory by pinning Mina Shirakawa after hitting her signature finisher, “The O-Face.” The win guarantees Athena a future match for the AEW Women’s World Championship.
Athena will now await the outcome of the AEW Women’s World Championship match scheduled for later tonight. The reigning champion, Toni Storm, is set to defend her title against “The CEO” Mercedes Moné. Athena will challenge the winner of that high-stakes encounter at a future date.