[8.0] "One of those matches that I want to give a higher rating but was just missing something to take it to that next level. Queen Aminata gets better every time I see her."
[8.0] "[3.75*] Another phenomenal match for Athena, the clear Ace and owner of ROH. The MVP. I missed Aminata on AEW TV for the last couple of months but if this was the price for her to work the best match of her career, then it was worth it. This match had the level and structure to be even better than it was, but Queen is still very green when it comes to thigh slaps and they looked horrible on this match, specially on the spot where she was kicking Athenas back repeatedly. The ending was not very good tho, the interferences were not needed, but everything else besides these 2 points was incredible. The Tiger Driver looked brutal, the steel steps spot was insane and the chemistry between them was great. Helluva match."
[5.0] "Was expecting a lot more from this. It wasn't pretty early on but when it came time to really take it home they got bogged down in a really bad angle here, which is really not what you want out of a ROH match let alone on a special show. Not an awful match but a disappointing one."
[8.0] "(Grade:B) This was a good contest! first time seeing Queen Aminata and she did well here despite noticeable moments of novice but she had the energy there and Athena is a top-tier star who brought intensity & some good strikes, the ending felt eh but the tombstone on the steel step & the sell by Aminata was amazing!"
[8.0] "Really damn good match given a completely unnecessary stutter with that ending. I mean, from the jump Athena and Aminata just perfectly embody the divine dominance and upstart diva that defines their relationship, and really strong performances both on the mats and more pure-gimmick work, bolstered by really strong, dynamic pacing between more deliberate, heavy-hitting moments and really strong technical sequences. Athena's performance is as intense and impressive as ever, but even better is her work selling Aminata's passion and power (and even her noviceness), all of which goes back to that divine-upstart dynamic. However, the finish feels more like an obstruction to a developing narrative than something that advances it."
[7.0] "Pretty good match but some glaring errors for me, Aminatas blatant thigh slaps just ruined the immersion and also the ending with Aminata using the tiger driver, and Athena recovering so quick, that should be a move that has you out cold fgs."
[6.0] "This was a bit disappointing for me. While there was some good material here (both women carry themselves with so much confidence that it commands your attention) and a few exciting moments, I can't help but feel like this fell short of its potential. There were several noticeable issues with execution, particularly from Aminata who still has moments where she looks quite green. The repeated kicks to Athena's spine where Aminata kept blatantly slapping her thigh looked a bit embarrassing, but the moment that really put me off was Aminata borderline no selling a Tombstone on the stairs. She was literally the next person to pull off an offensive move... Just ridiculous. The interference finish was really lame, too. The wheels really came off by the end, but up until then I was at least feeling entertained even with the issues - it's just a shame that it left such a sour taste in my mouth when all was said and done. A real mixed bag."
[8.0] "Really enjoyable match with a horrible screwy finish that the match didn't deserve. It's also a symptom of modern wrestling. There is a heel cheating for the finish in a lame way with unconvincing run ins and the crowd cheer the winner in the end. This is why nothing really gets over these days to a deep meaningful level these days. Folk are just cheering work rate right now. As for the match, it was sloppy in places and a little disjointed, but this is one where I think the sum is greater than the parts. Athena looked far more vulnerable than I have seen her before. Her look on her face when she hit her big moves and Aminata was not going to take it was perfect. Aminata is going to be one to watch. At times she looks a little lost in the ring like she isn't controlling it, and I think her selling needs a lot of work but I absolutely loved her striking. Her forearms in particular were great and I think she's one to watch. I probably come across critical but this match was very enjoyable, and better than the plunder match earlier in the show."
[8.0] "Quite a long match with a beginning that took a lot to end but the finish and the Over the Shoulder Pilerdriver on the steel steps at least were really good and dragged the match up. The last Eclipse wasn't the best one Athena ever executed but that doesn't change the average quality by a lot. ***3/4"
[7.0] "I felt this match lacked direction at times, but was otherwise a very fun match with lots of exciting moves. I wish they'd worked on telling more of a proper in-ring story, but what they delivered wasn't bad at all. If it was shorter though, it might have made me more lenient on it."
[6.0] "I don't really understand the hype around this match. Certainly, it is far from bad, with some nice sequences in particular, but I found the pace a little slow. Then the finale is a little disappointing with the gruge. You can also see that the match takes a long time, 5 minutes less would have been nice."
[9.0] "Aminata is a damn star and if her last few big matches weren't proof this sure was. Everything about her offense and poise balances elegance and killer perfectly, and she managed to bring Athena to her limit and win over some of the hometown crowd for the champion. I love how remorseless Aminata is here, after the Starkz match she doesn't even give a shit about Athena's health and Tiger Driver '91s the FUCK out of her for the match's best nearfall. The finish was a bit played out as far as heel finishes go but I get wanting to protect both women coming out of this. ****1/4"
[8.0] "A really solid women match. Queen Aminata keeps impressing me every time I see her wrestle. I hope TK have some huge plans for Athena in AEW because she may be HER in this women's division."
[8.0] "I liked the match very much, Athena is the heart of ROH, she never misses on the big spot. Excited for her future, and for what's next to Aminata too. (****)."
[8.0] "Such a hard worked match from start to finish by both women. They went in there and beat the absolute fuck out of each other. So may sick spots as well with the tombstone on the stairs and the damn Tiger Driver 91'. I really would have loved to see Aminata win but I am also glad she didn't because hopefully it means she will be back on TV. She is a future star in this business. **** 1/4"
[8.0] "Lot's of good clobberin' business in this one. The match did not have a consistent ebb and flow and felt disorganized but in a way that it worked to its advantage as it felt like these two women just wanted to fight each other. Good match. ****"
[9.0] "IMO this was the best Athena match since her match with Billie last year, after a fine 2024 (compared to her GREAT 2023) this match was what Athena needed to prove that she is the reason ROH is worth something and the REAL reason AEW/ROH women's division got better"
[10.0] "I haven't seen everything from the (extremely busy) AEW/ROH past week of wrestling yet but it's hard for me to think this won't end up being my favorite of the whole lot, because I thought it was fantastic stuff. Athena has long been the semi-hidden gem of TK's women, only semi-hidden because I don't think hardly anyone watches weekly ROH so I'm glad they still have these special shows to give her some higher profile matches. They picked a great opponent for her as well here, this is only my 5th time seeing Aminata but she has so far never failed to put out an impressive performance. The fact that she only has about 150 matches on record is incredible, if she keeps improving at this rate she could be a truly amazing talent, and she's already looking really good. This match was about pure physical beating, both women laid into each other like hell. Both had the simple strategy of running in full tilt like bulls and let the chips fall where they may, and it worked damn well. This felt like a match with true grit, something I love, and some of the bombs were just awesome, especially that crunching driver onto the overturned steps, brutal stuff in the best way. My only slight criticism is in the presentation, both the video package and the initial structure of the match seemed to indicate Athena as the face, as well as the crowd reaction, and yet towards the end it became clear she is still a heel. Not a big problem but just sort of odd. Even so, I would put this match in my top 40 of the year so far, really well done on both sides."
[8.0] "On sheer physicality, this climbs incredibly high. There isn't much here in terms of structure or shape but there is immense clobbering at every turn, with the runtime giving them space to swing big down the stretch. Aminata is brand new to a match of this magnitude but continues to jump off the page, with crunching offence and an undeniable presence. Meanwhile, Athena's floor on this stage is absurd right now, performing with the consistency of a grappler at the peak of her powers. This matchup is a little different too, as Aminata can feasibly trade bombs with Athena, making up most of this match's best bursts. Really strong match that perhaps most scarily, I'm confident they could improve on. ****"
[9.0] "Really enjoyed this one and felt like it was Aminata's best match to date. She brought some intensity that not a lot of other female workers can bring to this and matched Athena in the storytelling department as well. The high impact move and hard hitting strikes made this feel like a gritty fight and war of attrition. Big match Athena is the Johnny Takeover of ROH PPVs. ****1/4"
[5.0] "There was no discernable structure to this match at all. Like they'd figured out how to string together a bunch of random moves in no particular order and just went with it. Some of the execution was pretty poor and there was no consistent focus on damage or peril. The fact that Aminata was able to bust out an offensive flurry moments after a tombstone on the steps was almost as laughable as the ensuing shenanigans **1/4"
[5.0] "Nothing much seemed to happen in this match and it struggled to keep my attention if Im honest. Both are obviously decent workers but this match didnt seem to get into full gear at any point. Im confused at some of the higher ratings for this one. Average"
[7.0] "Really good match that I felt could have maybe been a bit better. Pretty great back and forth action throughout with a few great striking exchanges between the two and a few great spots, such as the tombstone on the steps which looked great. Athena was obviously great here, and Aminata was pretty good two, although her thigh slaps whenever she does a kick are very distracting. The finish here kinda sucked, as it was just a pretty lame ref distraction spot which allowed Lexy to give Athena a mic, hit Aminata with it and then hit the O Face for the win. That aside though this was very good, but down the line I can definitely see them putting on something better. ***3/4"
[9.0] "Similar to Velvet, this is the best showcase of Aminata in her short rise to prominence in the roster. The major credit goes to the champion herself, Athena for lighting a fire in the challenger's heart to flesh out as a hungry prospect who proved to be ready for the step-up. Since it was a slow burn, it may not be everyone's cup of tea but the action was stiff and gruesome. Athena as the homecoming lass emitted the opposite reaction to her work on Aminata, opening a shadow of nervousness in Aminata's retaliation phase. The finish didn't sit well initially, but after sinking the teeth in, it feels like a poetic work between Athena and Billie is in the making. 4.25 out of 5 stars!"
[5.0] "Ending was poorly booked, and honestly, they showed no desire to do anything other than a couple big moves. I know people love Queen Aminata, but I just don't get it. She has these really smooth-looking moments from time to time, but things like the thigh slap knee strikes look absolute shit, sorry. Athenta on the other hand, was still a little banged up it seemed, as she didn't really seem interested in bumping very well. Maybe it was a chemistry thing or whatnot, but overall I thought this was pretty meh. Two black women main eventing for a title is a huge win though, so I won't go below 2.5."
[5.0] "Queen Aminata has shown so much promise. In fact she's probably better than 90% of the AEW/ROH women's roster already so it was pretty disappointing she didn't get the win here, but even more so that the match didn't really live up to the hype in part due to some lack of chemistry but also just really bad booking with that ending. Maybe with that ending being the way things were to end up they decided to hold back but it really seemed like they were being a step off or withholding throughout the match."
[6.0] "This was a match with great potential. Athena is capable of delivering MOTY-quality performances show to show, and Aminata has grown significantly over the past year and is persuasively hard-hitting in the ring. But there were multiple issues that kept this match from being what it could be, and it wrapped up with an atrocious finish that did nothing except embarrass both women and ROH overall. The first issue was that Athena was very clearly self-restricting herself throughout the match. She was getting her typical shit in, but otherwise wasn't bumping or doing big larger-than-normal spots. Aminata bumped her ass off in turn, but the lack of quality back and forth didn't do the match justice and hurt momentum. The second issue, and the most glaring, was that Athena is still clearly playing heel but is never going to be boo'd in Texas. While the audience was great, with dueling chants and match-long loudness, there was a significant lack of heat and a complete lack of stakes. Even when Athena cheated to win, the crowd was fine with it. Aminata gained nothing for the effort for her character or story. Lastly, the ending itself. This is such an embarrassment of a booking decision, and just one of many embarrassing booking decisions from TK recently. This was a match deserving of a good finish. Athena was presented as the better and stronger wrestler the entire way through. Aminata never looked better or like she'd win. And yet they still did a cheating angle to gift Athena a win, as if it'd make Aminata look strong and not pathetic and stupid instead. AEW/ROH used to be better than this. Now they're worse for it."
[10.0] "Athena is by far the best female wrestler in the AEW/ROH roster. In a fair world she would be main eventing All In because she truly deserves it. She has been delivering great matches after great matches. kudos to queen Aminata because she kept improving so fast and she has become an amazing wrestler. Definitely one of the best of the whole roster. The match was great from the beginning to the end. Both wrestlers are so clean and smooth in their manoeuvres. If they gave this match 5 more minutes it could have been a real classic. Anyway I truly hope that the ending will lead to a rematch. Please we want ATHENA VS. AMINATA II at Final battle! Maybe in a fight without honor, that would be awesome."
[8.0] "This was a great match, really intense and hard-hitting. Aminata and Athena clicked really well in the ring and had really good chemistry. Athena, in particular, always manages to bring the best out of her opponents. The action was fun and entertaining all throughout the match. Both ladies' offense was great and there were a few really nice exchanges. I didn't like Aminata basically no selling the effects of a tombstone on the steel steps and getting back up right after kicking out. Also I thought the ending could've been excecuted better but I'm willing to close an eye considering it's all building up for Billie to dethrone Athena. 8/10 - 4.25*/5*"
[9.0] "great execution and intensity in this one, Aminata showed once again why she's one of the hottest prospects in the business and Athena continues a great dominating run even if she did cheat to win this one."
[8.0] "Part 2 of the build towards Billie Starkz winning the ROH Women's World Title. Outside interference from her and Lexy Nair led to Athena retaining the title against Queen Aminata after a really good semi-main event match. Afterwards, Athena praised Nair while rejecting Starkz. That's the catalyst, folks."
[8.0] "Athena continues to be one of the best big match wrestlers in 2024. She brings the best out of her opponents, elevates them, the title and the whole ROH brand. Her matches are only elevated more by her humor and ability to be an effective storyteller and while this match didn't quite reach the heights of matches with Willow, Billie or Shida this one is another feather in the cap of one of the best in the world right now. I also think a huge amount of credit goes to Aminata who has improved greatly in recent months. She put in the work and had probably her best match to date."
[10.0] "*****. Athena simply doesnt miss. In her record breaking reign she just delivers banger after banger after banger in PPV matches. The fact that it was in her hometown added an extra dimension to an already great match. Both women put in an A+ effort with sick moves and counter after counter after counter. Yeah maybe the interference finish wasnt perfect for the match itself, but it fits into the story itself. Billie will the the one to dethrone Athena and I will be seated. (Pls book Athena for All In, Tony! I know youre reading this)"
[7.0] "This match was A LOT. It was Athenas hometown of Houston I believe as thats what commentary said like a bajillion times when Athena got cheered. The match was good but felt a bit off at times like I could see the vision but there was moments where we could see them completely miss the hit & sell it or angles that showed that a girl missed the dive and still pinned her like it didnt break the match it took me out a little tho. I feel like the reason this isnt higher is because of the finish & what story theyre doing. Queen animata gets Athena the closest shes ever been to losing she hits the finish that takes Athena out Billie Starkz who lost her womens tv title immediately runs out followed by the new champ to brawl distracting the referee all the while animate goes for the pin then moves off her as Athena rolls to the spot. Lexy grabs a microphone gives it to Athena who bashes Aminata over the head with it & then hits the O-Face for victory. It could go a couple ways after this an Aminata rematch for the belt where she wins after Athena had her successful homecoming & became the longest reigning champion in all of ROH. Or whats more likely to happen from the videos on Ring of honor being posted is that Billie Starkz turns on Athena & they have yet another feud this time Billie finally winning. Which dont get me wrong great for the girl but damn."
