Athena will put her title on the line.
In celebration of its relaunch, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling will host a two-night showcase titled Forged In Excellence on October 19 and 20. Two matches had previously been announced for the event — that being Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mike Bailey and Takeshita vs. Josh Alexander. On Wednesday morning, MLP confirmed the addition of a third match, with major championship implications.
As announced on X (formerly known as Twitter), Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion Athena will defend her title against Gisele Shaw at MLP Forged In Excellence. In a follow-up post, MLP confirmed that this title match will take place on night two of the event, October 20.
For Athena, this will mark the 23rd title defense in her reign as ROH Women’s World Champion — a reign that recently surpassed 600 days. For Shaw, this will mark her first match since departing from TNA Wrestling at the end of August. While it will also signal her first-ever encounter with Athena, Forged In Excellence will be the host to Shaw’s second attempt at capturing the ROH Women’s World Championship.
“The Quintessential Diva” previously vied for the title on a March 2022 episode of Impact Wrestling. There, “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo defended both the ROH Women’s and AAA Reina de Reinas Championships against Shaw and Lady Frost.
MLP Forged In Excellence will emanate from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
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