Athena Wins AEW Women’s Casino Gauntlet at All In, Earns Title Shot – AEW’s All In: Texas event continued its high-octane momentum with a stacked 12-woman Casino Gauntlet match, and when the dust settled, it was Athena who stood tall, earning a guaranteed shot at the AEW Women’s World Championship.
The action began with Kris Statlander and Megan Bayne in the ring, immediately setting a physical tone. Both women showcased impressive strength with suplex counters and big power moves. Their opening clash was interrupted by Willow Nightingale, who brought her signature energy and brawling offense into the mix. The dynamic quickly escalated as Tay Melo entered fourth and hit a Satellite Stunner, only to be tangled in outside drama involving Penelope Ford, Harley Cameron, and Anna Jay, who eventually chased each other out of the arena.
Thekla entered next and immediately made her presence felt with stiff boots and a high-risk dive to the outside. Multiple women were taken out on the floor, including Statlander and Bayne. Back inside, Willow delivered a Doctor Bomb to Thekla, only for Statlander to break the count. Megan Bayne then hit a spectacular Doomsday Device off the top rope with help from Statlander.
Julia Hart was the sixth entrant and added high-flying offense with a moonsault and rope-walk chop. Skye Blue ran in and assisted Hart before Tay Melo hit a Gotch Piledriver on Hart. Queen Aminata entered seventh and delivered big strikes and a brutal neckbreaker on Thekla. Aminata and Thekla’s slugfest was a standout mid-match sequence, with Aminata leveling her with a thunderous forearm.
The chaos intensified with the arrival of Mina Shirakawa, who took out everyone and landed a creative twisting Electric Chair Slam on Skye Blue—though Blue wasn’t an official entrant. Mina brought a mix of comedy and chaos, stopping Statlander and Bayne mid-attack with her signature shimmying antics.
Athena entered at #9 and tore through everyone with raw power. She powerbombed Mina, slammed both Tay Melo and Thekla simultaneously, and even hit a handspring forearm followed by a Tombstone Piledriver on Aminata. Thunder Rosa followed, reigniting her rivalry with Athena and adding more fire to the already hectic match.
Syuri entered at #11 and delivered a flurry of technical strikes and suplexes, including an intense showdown with Athena. Last but not least, Alex Windsor joined at #12 and took the fight straight to Syuri with a Hangman’s DDT and Blue Thunder Bomb. Their exchange ended with a brutal series of German suplexes and knees.
The final stretch of the match saw the entire field brawling around the ring. Megan Bayne attempted a top-rope move but was caught by Statlander, who delivered a devastating powerbomb to the outside, crashing into a pile of competitors. Back in the ring, Mina Shirakawa and Thunder Rosa traded heavy shots until Mina took over with a diving Slingblade and multiple stiff strikes.
Just when it looked like Mina had the upper hand, Athena climbed the ropes and hit her patented Diving Stunner on Mina to secure the win and the title shot.
Winner: Athena
Athena now holds a guaranteed AEW Women’s World Championship opportunity. With the title bout between Toni Storm and Mercedes Moné also set to take place tonight, all eyes will be on who emerges as champion—and how long they’ll hold it with The Fallen Goddess looming.
Athena Wins AEW Women’s Casino Gauntlet at All In, Earns Title Shot
