Mercedes Moné Wins Owen Hart Women's Tournament at AEW Forbidden Door, Earns All In Title Shot
Mercedes Moné defeated Maya World in the final of the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament at AEW Forbidden Door on Sunday night in San Jose, California, becoming the first wrestler in All Elite Wrestling history to win the Owen Cup twice. The victory, secured in back-to-back years, earns Moné a women's championship match at All In.
Key takeaways
- Mercedes Moné defeated Maya World in the final of the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament at AEW Forbidden Door on Sunday night in San Jose, California.
- Moné became the first wrestler in AEW history to win the Owen Cup twice, achieving it in back-to-back years.
- The victory earns Moné a women's championship match at All In, where her likely opponent is Thekla if she holds the title in August.
- Moné won the match by connecting on a backstabber and transitioning into a crossface submission, forcing World to tap out.
- Maya World reached the final by defeating Skye Blue and Athena while carrying the weight of her brother's recent death.
Mercedes Moné defeated Maya World in the final of the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament at AEW Forbidden Door on Sunday night in San Jose, California, becoming the first wrestler in All Elite Wrestling history to win the Owen Cup twice. The victory, secured in back-to-back years, earns Moné a women's championship match at All In.
Path to the Final
World reached the tournament final by defeating Skye Blue and Athena, advancing through the bracket while carrying the weight of a personal loss — the recent death of her brother. The run gave World momentum and crowd sympathy heading into the championship match against Moné, who is known in AEW circles by the nickname "CEO."
The Championship Match
Moné drew crowd support early by taunting World at the bell, but the tone shifted as the match progressed. World mounted sustained offense, landing a sunset flip powerbomb onto the floor and a springboard moonsault, and kicked out of several of Moné's signature slams. By the closing stretch, the San Jose crowd had split its allegiance between both competitors.
Moné secured the win by connecting on a backstabber and transitioning into a crossface submission. World tapped out.
History Made, All In Next
The victory marks the first time any AEW competitor has claimed the Owen Cup in consecutive years. Last year Moné entered a similar position but fell short when she challenged Toni Storm for the AEW World Women's Championship.
She now advances to All In with a title shot in hand. Her likely opponent is Thekla, referred to as the "Toxic Spider," provided Thekla holds the championship when the August event takes place.