Athena vs Diamanté

Athena’s reign of terror continues.

After brutalizing some lower level enhancement talent, Athena takes on AEW veteran, Diamanté. Athena enters the match looking mostly like her babyface self but we start to see cracks in the facade after a vicious back elbow from Diamanté.

Athena doesn’t bring out the big (angry) guns immediately and as such, Diamanté’s skill allows her counter Athena’s attacks. Finally, Athena catches Diamanté while attempting a crossbody and turns it into a back-breaker/STO combo. Again, Athena showing me new shit! How many moves does this girl have?!

Athena looks like she’s going to dump Diamanté over the top rope in a front suplex but Diamanté lands on the apron and suplexes Athena onto the ring-level ramp. Athena collects herself on the floor but Diamanté pursues which allows Athena to take advantage including her patented Shot Gun Dropkick into the guard rail.

Back in the ring, Diamanté still proves to be up to matching Athena move for move when Athena snaps, caves in Diamanté’s face with an elbow and then ground & pounds her dead corpse. Goddamnit Athena’s strikes look like murder. Athena picks her opponent’s limp body up and hits the Lungblower for the win.

Post match, Athena kicks Diamanté in the face with a thrust kick. What a heel. Diamanté, for her part; Always the pro! Everything she hit and sold looked solid and uncontrived. She may not be commanding a lot of heat at the moment but she’s thoroughly over as a very tough out at a bare minimum.

Less WWE PC, More Ishii

Fan’s mileage may vary on Athena’s pantomiming. This is purely subjective but I’d prefer far less dramatic body language. So for example, rather than standing in the ring and pulsating before snapping her head at her opponent. I’d much rather see her slowly picking up her head with an earnest angry glare. Her face is so beautifully expressive that I don’t doubt she could pull this off with ease. I feel like Athena subscribes to the WWE PC “making sure the guy in the nose-bleeds can tell what’s happening”. I’m not saying that’s bad or wrong, I just prefer the Ishii school of thought where a simple glare tells an entire story. Athena’s primarily a TV wrestler. The majority of people watching her matches are TV viewers and even the live crowds, once they know your tendencies, will know to look for it. Just my 2¢.

Post-Full Gear

So that’s my own (pedantic) criticism. Otherwise, holy shit, Athena is ready to boil over despite sitting on the back burner to simmer. Thank god Full Gear is coming up soon because Tony needs to get this woman on Dynamite showing this side of herself and caving in women’s faces in prime time.