The ROH women’s division rests on one shoulder

Ring of Honor just announced the card for Global Wars Cincinnati, and predictably, the entire heavyweight of the show is being carried by Athena. She is set to defend that ROH Women’s World Championship again, proving once more that the booking office has no idea how to elevate anyone else without her involvement.

You have to admire the lack of imagination here. Instead of building a deep bench, the promotion just keeps throwing challengers into the ring with a worker who is clearly operating on a different level than the rest of the undercard. It is a one-woman show playing exclusively to the rafters.

The booking vacuum at Global Wars

Let’s call a spade a spade. Athena is carrying this division like a backpack in a 5K race. While the front office confirmed the title match for Cincinnati, the lack of compelling secondary stories is glaring. You cannot sustain a brand on championship matches alone when the audience already knows the outcome.

We have seen the same patterns in mid-card feuds across the circuit lately, and frankly, it is getting stale. When the promotion relies solely on a veteran to breathe life into the belt, the moment she drops it, the division is going to hit a wall harder than a cruiserweight taking a clothesline from a heavyweight. This is not a long-term plan; it is a stay-of-execution move.

The danger of a single focal point

I love a dominant reign as much as anyone, but there is a point where it becomes a liability. Athena sells tickets, absolutely. She delivers the goods on the microphone, and her technical work rate is usually the highlight of any broadcast. But if your best asset is the only person anyone cares to see, you have failed the rest of your roster.

There is no sense of urgency for the challengers. We are entering the middle of June, and if I am a fan, I am looking for a narrative hook beyond just another title defense. Global Wars should be an opportunity to build a new star, but instead, it feels like they are killing time while waiting for the next big pay-per-view cycle. It is lazy arithmetic.

Why the title scene feels frozen

You can look at any promotion currently failing to gain traction and see this exact problem. It is the ‘Ace-as-a-Crutch’ syndrome. By keeping the title on Athena and not having a clear, structured roadmap for her eventual successor, management is practically begging for a ratings slump.

I want to see more high-stakes wrestling that isn't just about the gold. Where are the grudges? Where are the mid-card talent being given time to actually cook? If all we get is another 18-minute title match that ends with a powerbomb or a submission, the audience will eventually start checking their phones when her music hits. And that, folks, would be the real tragedy.