Sean Ross Sapp addressed the future of the ROH Women's World Championship in the latest edition of Fightful Select Answers. He indicated that Billie Starkz is still the long-term choice to challenge and potentially dethrone the reigning champion, Athena. Despite Persephone currently being booked as the title challenger for Final Battle, Sapp noted that the internal expectations for the championship's direction have not changed.
Sapp mentioned that Persephone's upcoming match is not expected to result in a title change, emphasizing that Starkz has consistently been viewed as the intended successor, even after her previous losses to Athena. He added that Athena had preferred to drop the title to Starkz earlier, but creative decisions related to the ongoing storyline with Mercedes Moné impacted that timeline.
Athena's championship reign has now exceeded 1,000 days. Persephone secured her shot at the ROH Women’s World Championship for Final Battle after a series of victories, but this update suggests that her match will not alter the long-term plans for the title.
