Prior to joining All Elite Wrestling in 2022, Ring of Honor Women’s World champion Athena spent six years with WWE. As Ember Moon, she held the NXT Women title as well as the brand’s tag titles, alongside Shotzi Blackheart.
Despite her WWE run coming to an end in late-2021, Athena maintains an overall positive outlook on her experience there, particularly with the atmosphere in NXT.
Athena spoke with Phil Strum for Under The Ring and explained how working for WWE helped her develop as a performer.
Athena Says NXT was like going to Pro Wrestling University
Athena individually thanked several of the coaches she worked with in NXT, including Sara Amato, Robbie Brookside, Norman Smiiley, Matt Bloom, Fitt Finaly, Shawn Michaels, as well as Triple H.
“I learned a lot about myself,” she began. “I learned a lot about what I wanted, and where I wanted to be in my career. I think the most awesome part about being an NXT was working with [Triple H] or with working with all the amazing coaches like Sara Amato, Robbie Brookside, who I love to death. I cannot say enough great things about Robbie Brookside. [He] brought out that aggression within the Ember Moon character. Norman Smiley, Matt Bloom, Fit Finlay — there were just so much knowledge in one place in. Shawn Michaels too, Scotty 2 Hotty was there.
“There was just so much knowledge wrapped up in one place, that it was like a college for wrestling. I don’t know if that’s an accurate term, it was like Pro Wrestling University. It was really cool to jus be able to go there and just learn so much.”
Athena says she still speaks to many of her NXT coaches to this day. She asks them if they watch her matches in ROH and tries to pick up any pointers that she can.
“It’s just really cool to have that support still, even though I’m not there. I just learned a lot about myself and what I wanted out of my career there. I learned how to work for television, how to work for myself. It made me more motivated ever than before, just to be good at what I do. And I think that’s the beauty of that place.”
Listen to Athena’s appearance on Under the Ring at Apple Podcasts.