Mercedes Moné Wins 2nd Straight Owen Cup, Secures All In Title Shot

Q: After her breakout performance against a legend, is Maya World the true winner of the tournament?

Not officially—but in the broader sense, Maya World may have been the tournament’s biggest beneficiary. Mercedes Moné is the actual winner. She beat World at Forbidden Door on June 28 in San Jose, becoming the first AEW wrestler to win the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament twice in a row and earning the All In title shot against Thekla if the champion is still holding the belt in August. But World’s run changed her standing. The 23-year-old entered as an injury replacement, then beat Skye Blue and ROH Women’s World Champion Athena before pushing Moné, one of the most decorated women in wrestling, to a hard-fought final. She showcased major-match poise, hit high-risk offense, and even had the crowd split by the end after starting as the clear underdog. That matters in AEW. The tournament did not give World the trophy or the championship opportunity, but it appears to have given her something nearly as valuable: credibility. Reports around the match framed it as a breakout performance and a star-making loss, especially given that she was working through personal grief and still looked like a legitimate top-level contender. So if the question is who won on paper, it was Moné. If the question is who may have gained the most long-term value from the tournament, the answer is Maya World. Her loss likely elevated her from promising prospect to serious player in AEW’s women’s division.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 29

Mercedes Moné beat Maya World by submission at Forbidden Door on Sunday, becoming the first AEW wrestler to win the Owen Hart Cup twice.
The victory sends Moné to All In with a women's title shot after she fell short against Toni Storm in last year's championship match.
Maya World pushed Moné deep into the final in San Jose, surviving heavy offense and landing a sunset flip powerbomb to the floor and a springboard moonsault.
August now looms as Moné's next target, with a title match expected against Thekla if the "Toxic Spider" is still champion by All In.