Athena (wrestler) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Athena |
|
|---|---|
Reese as Ember Moon in 2017
|
|
| Birth name | Adrienne Reese |
| Born | August 31, 1988 Garland, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) |
Matthew Palmer
(m. 2018) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Adrienne Adrienne Reese Athena Athena Reese Ember Moon |
| Billed height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) |
| Billed weight | 120 lb (54 kg) |
| Billed from | Dallas, Texas Chicago, Illinois St. Louis, Missouri |
| Trained by | Skandor Akbar Action Jackson Lance Archer Monty Brown Booker T Rodney Mack & Jazz |
| Debut | 2007 |
Adrienne Palmer (born August 31, 1988) is an American professional wrestler. She is known by her ring name Athena. She works for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its sister company, Ring of Honor (ROH).
In ROH, she leads a group called M.I.T. and is the current ROH Women's World Champion. She has held this title for over 925 days days, making her the longest-reigning champion in ROH history. She also wrestles for other independent wrestling companies.
Before joining AEW, Athena was known as Ember Moon in WWE. There, she won the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship and the NXT Women's Champion title. Before WWE, she wrestled as Athena for companies like Shimmer Women Athletes.
Contents
About Athena
Early Life and Interests
Adrienne Reese was born in Garland, Texas, on August 31, 1988. She went to Lakeview Centennial High School. There, she played tennis and softball. She also joined the chess club and the math team. When she was in high school, some kids were mean to her because she liked video games and wrestling.
Starting in Wrestling
Athena's grandfather first showed her professional wrestling. She began training in April 2007 with a trainer named Skandor Akbar. Later, she trained at Booker T's wrestling school in Houston, Texas. She started wrestling as "Trouble" in 2007, and then changed her name to "Athena".
She wrestled for many companies in Texas. She won the ACW American Joshi Championship three times. She also won the ACW Television Championship. From 2010 to 2015, she wrestled for all-female wrestling companies like Shimmer Women Athletes.
Wrestling Career Highlights
Early Days in Ring of Honor (2013–2015)
Between 2013 and 2015, Athena wrestled for Ring of Honor (ROH). She was part of a group called Team RnB. She had matches against other wrestlers like MsChif and Barbi Hayden. She left ROH in 2015.
Time in WWE (2015–2021)
NXT Success (2015–2018)
In September 2015, Athena signed a contract with WWE. She joined their training brand, NXT. She first used the name Adrienne Reese. In June 2016, her name changed to Ember Moon.
She made her TV debut at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, winning her match. Ember Moon had a long winning streak. She eventually lost to the NXT Women's Champion Asuka. After Asuka gave up her title due to an injury, Ember Moon won the vacant NXT Women's Championship. She won it in a four-person match in November. She held the title for 140 days. She lost the title to Shayna Baszler at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.
Moving to the Main Roster (2018–2020)
Ember Moon first appeared on WWE's main shows at the 2018 Royal Rumble. She was in the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match. After losing her NXT title, she moved to the Raw show. She teamed up with Nia Jax and won her first match.
She also competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match, but she did not win. At the 2019 Royal Rumble event, she was in the women's Royal Rumble match again. She lasted a long time but got injured during the match. This injury kept her out of action for a while.
After returning, she moved to the SmackDown brand. She took part in another Money in the Bank match but was not successful. She had a rivalry with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Later, she challenged SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley at SummerSlam but lost. She then suffered another ankle injury. She was out of action for a long time.
Back to NXT (2020–2021)
In 2020, Ember Moon returned to NXT with a new look. She formed a tag team with Shotzi Blackheart. They competed in the first women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. They won the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship on March 10, 2021. They held the titles for 55 days before losing them. In November 2021, Ember Moon was released from WWE.
Return to Independent Wrestling (2022–Present)
After leaving WWE, she started wrestling as Athena again. She challenged for the Warrior Wrestling Women's Championship in February 2022. The match ended in a draw.
All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor (2022–Present)
Athena made her debut for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in May 2022. She helped Anna Jay and Kris Statlander at the Double or Nothing event. She won her first AEW match against Kiera Hogan.
She challenged for the AEW TBS Championship and the AEW Women's World Champion title but did not win. In November 2022, Athena attacked a referee, which meant she became a "heel" (a bad guy) character.
Because AEW's owner also owns Ring of Honor (ROH), Athena faced Mercedes Martinez at ROH's Final Battle event. She won the ROH Women's World Championship at this event. She has successfully defended her title many times.
In late 2023, Athena became a mentor to Billie Starkz and Lexy Nair. They formed a group called "M.I.T.". Athena has continued to defend her ROH Women's World Championship against many challengers, including Willow Nightingale and Hikaru Shida. In September 2024, Athena became the longest-reigning ROH champion ever.
World Wonder Ring Stardom (2025–Present)
Athena also started wrestling in Japan for World Wonder Ring Stardom in January 2025. She has teamed with other wrestlers and defended her ROH Women's World Championship there.
Personal Life
Adrienne Reese is married to fellow professional wrestler, Matthew Palmer. She really likes comic books and the old 1960s Batman TV show. She has said that wrestlers like Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, and Trish Stratus inspired her.
Championships and Accomplishments
- Absolute Intense Wrestling
- AIW Women's Championship (2 times)
- ACW American Joshi Championship (3 times)
- ACW Televised Championship (1 time)
- ACW Queen of Queens Tournament (2012)
- Pro Wrestling Alliance
- PWA Women's Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 18 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2017
- Ranked No. 6 of the top 250 women's wrestlers in the PWI Women's 250 in 2023
- Women Superstars Uncensored / Combat Zone Wrestling
- Queen and King of the Ring (2013) – with A. R. Fox
- Ring of Honor
- ROH Women's World Championship (1 time, current)
- WWE
- NXT Women's Championship (1 time)
- NXT Women's Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Shotzi Blackheart
- Warrior Wrestling
- Warrior Wrestling Women's Championship (1 time)
See Also
In Spanish: Athena (luchadora) para niños
