The more time that passed, the more Athena longed to be part of AEW.
After her six-year journey at WWE ended in November 2021, Athena (formerly Ember Moon) made her AEW debut at Double or Nothing, confronting AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill and the Baddies (Kiera Hogan & Red Velvet). She would make her in-ring debut on the AEW Rampage following Double or Nothing, defeating Kiera Hogan.
Speaking on Complex Unsanctioned, Athena discussed AEW's growth and how seeing the love and passion that goes into every match and performer made her long for that feeling again.
"I knew for longer than what people know that that's the place I wanted to be. When you look at the AEW pay-per-views and I'm seeing all my friends that I used to roll with on the Indies and they're finally getting a platform they deserve. 'Man, they look like they're having so much fun. I have to be part of it.' It kept sitting in, the more time that went on there, the more I kept looking at AEW and longing to be at AEW. Then, maybe this sounds cliche, then Jade Cargill came on my radar with that Storm cosplay. 'Oh my God, this girl is fire.' That's the first moment where I was like, 'there is something special here.' She came out with the Jade Mortal Kombat gear. 'Damn. She got that.' It's seeing from day one, where the company started, to now and how much love and passion that goes into every match and every talent. You can see it on their face and it made me long for that again. For me to come out at Double or Nothing, I was super shocked. I didn't know what the reaction would be. I try to be extremely humble in that, I do what I love because this is what I love. You never know what the reception is going to be when that happens. In the backstage area, before I make my entrance, I was holding my stomach. 'I think I might puke,' I was so rattled with nerves. 'Momma is gonna spew on TV.' The music hit, the place erupted, and I remember in my head thinking, 'I'm gonna walk to the ring all smooth and cool, being a badass.' The crowd's energy went through me and I was slapping my chest, I got extra sassy and chaotic, I was loving every moment of it. Coming down, staring Jade in the face, which was the first time we met. Kiera, Red Velvet, 'Yeah, you messed up now. That Twitter got you in trouble.' I'm never been happier to feel everyone's appreciation. The moment, me being in the ring, feeling it in my heart. I promised myself that when I got to AEW, I wasn't going to cry anymore. I was going to be appreciative and happy to be there," she said.
She would continue on to describe the reactions backstage after her debut, which ranged from friends questioning why they weren't informed ahead of time to Tony Khan being extremely energetic and excited.
"It was so cool because I didn't tell anyone. I tell people, 'If I did know, I wouldn't tell you, but I genuinely don't know.' I genuinely didn't know. Going from being incognito, from St. Louis, hoping on my flight after my match in St. Louis, going to Las Vegas, trying to be incognito, trying not to go the popular bag claim where I see fans roaming with binoculars like, 'who is here?' I can be small and I'm good at hiding in plain sight because people are looking for someone taller and bigger. I walked past three dudes in Adam Cole t-shirts, right into the cab, 'Oh my God, I might get away with this.' I didn't tell any of my friends that I was coming, none of them. I have a lot of friends in AEW that I had known from the Independent scene and in life. When I came back through the curtain, they were like, 'Screw you! You couldn't tell me!' Nyla Rose as the first one, I thought she was going to powerbomb me through the table backstage because she was so pissed. Leva, Thunder Rosa, she was like, 'You couldn't tell me?' I wasn't going to say anything, that's how secrets are kept. Ruby Soho, same thing. It was so nice seeing people genuinely happy for me in that moment and that we're all ready to go and to show that we are the best division on the damn planet. Seeing Tony after my entrance, 'That was great! I'm so pumped! Are you pumped?' 'Yeah, yeah, let's go!' He has that charismatic energy and he's so hyped that you want to get on his level. I remember talking to him and he was so happy, and I was so happy," Athena said.
Elsewhere during the interview, Athena discussed the process of putting together her entrance gear for her match last Friday night. Click here to read more.
Athena is not in action on tonight's AEW Rampage, but Red Velvet will represent the Baddies against Kris Statlander. Fightful will have live coverage of AEW Rampage beginning at 10 p.m. ET.