On January 1, 2020, the ROH
Women of Honor World Championship was deactivated when the last champion
Kelly Klein was stripped of the championship after ROH didn't renew her contract. A new tournament to crown the inaugural ROH Women's World Champion was set to start on April 24 of that year at
Quest for Gold, however, ROH postponed all future events due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. On July 11, at
Best in the World, the tournament bracket and the championship itself were revealed. On September 12, 2021
Rok-C defeated Miranda Alize via pinfall at the ROH pay-per-view
Death Before Dishonor XVIII, the culmination of a 15-woman singles elimination tournament to become the inaugural ROH Women's World Championship holder. On October 27, 2021, Ring of Honor announced that it would go on a hiatus after
Final Battle in December, with a return tentatively scheduled for April 2022. All personnel would also be released from their contracts as part of plans to "reimagine" the company as a "fan-focused product". After Final Battle, several ROH wrestlers began to appear on other promotions and defended the titles. Rok-C defended the title against
Impact Wrestling's Deonna Purrazzo during a television taping. However, Rok-C was defeated and lost the title to Purrazzo. (Deonna Purrazzo also wrestled in the ROH Women of Honor division throughout years 2015 to 2018 familiar with it.) In early 2022, during the hiatus, then-ROH Women's World Champion Purrazzo was booked for the
Multiverse of Matches at
WrestleCon, which happened to be when the
Supercard of Honor XV event was later scheduled for April 1, 2022. Purrazzo was unable to attend the latter event. At
Supercard of Honor XV,
Mercedes Martinez defeated
Willow Nightingale to become the
Interim ROH Women's World Champion and earned the opportunity to face
lineal champion Purrazzo in a
unification match at a later date. On the May 4, 2022, episode of
Dynamite, Martinez defeated Purrazzo to become the undisputed ROH Women's World Champion. (Prior Mercedes Martinez was also familiar with the ROH Women's division having her first run wrestling in the division throughout years 2006 to 2007 making her a
veteran.) On September 15, 2024
Athena became the longest reigning ROH women's champion & ROH title holder of all time as a woman surpassing
Samoa Joe's reign as
ROH World Champion at 645 days by holding the ROH Women's World Championship for 646 days. (Prior to her reign Athena also wrestled in the Women of Honor division throughout years 2013 to 2015.) In January 2025 the title was defended in
Japan at
World Wonder Ring Stardom by Athena who retained the title while there. On February 17, 2025, Athena hit a new landmark as Ring of Honor Women's World Champion, passing the 800-day mark as champion. On May 29, 2025, Athena hit another milestone as ROH Women's World Champion by hitting 900 days as champion. On September 5, 2025 Athena hit a fourth Milestone as ROH Women's World Champion by hitting 1000-days as champion. == Inaugural championship tournament (2021) ==