"Would be like stupid not to try to snatch her up" - Former WWE Superstar on Paige heading to AEW

Paige will be a free agent as soon as her WWE contract expires on July 7.

The former WWE Divas Champion hasn't wrestled since 2017 due to a neck injury. However, she has made it known that she intends to get back into the ring again in the future if she manages to get cleared by a doctor.

All Elite Wrestling star Athena (formerly Ember Moon of WWE) recently sat down with Steve Fall of NBC Sports to discuss a wide variety of subjects. When asked about the possibility of Paige signing with AEW after her WWE contract expires next month, Athena said that it would be a smart move:

"She is an invaluable superstar in her own right," Athena said. "She is absolutely phenomenal whether she’s going to be a mouthpiece, whether she’s able to get back in the ring. Like any company would be like stupid not to try to snatch her up. I think her eventually returning to wrestling anywhere would be beneficial to whatever companies snatches her up, but I think AEW will be a smart move again because there’s something to be added to the women’s division." [H/T: PWMania]

Athena believes Paige and Emma started the women's evolution, not The Bella Twins

While many fans have credited The Bella Twins for the women's evolution in WWE, Athena believes that it all started with Paige and Emma in NXT.

Before the Four Horsewomen, a group of young women were changing the game in the early days of NXT. With a focus on wrestling, alternative style, and character work beyond the mold for female wrestlers in WWE, Paige, Emma and Summer Rae can be credited with spearheading the change in how the women's division was represented.

Speaking with Steve Fall, Athena has asserted that the Anti-Diva and Emma were responsible for bringing good women's wrestling to the fore:

"Everyone says the women’s evolution started with the Bellas, I highly disagree! Started with Paige and Emma," Athena said. "Started with them, that was the first like mainstream women’s match that got time that made people like want more and knowing that she’s capable of that not to mention seeing her story in the movie and I’ve wrestled her mom on the indies before and just got my ass handed to me excuse my language, but like of course like she’s someone I’ve always wanted to wrestle with.." [H/T: PWMania]

It's unknown what Paige plans to do when her WWE contract expires next month, but Athena is right about one thing. It would be stupid for Tony Khan not to pick up the phone to try and bring her into All Elite Wrestling in any capacity whatsoever. Will it happen? We'll find out soon enough.