Willow Nightingale’s injury left the TBS championship vacant*, and created an opening in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament field. That spot was up on Dynamite tonight (June 3), with Alex Windsor scheduled to face a “Wild Card” in round one.
Even before Fightful Select reported this afternoon that Mercedes Moné would be back “relatively soon”, a lot of folks predicted this spot for the CEO’s return — folks like our own Cain A. Knight in his preview for this week’s Dynamite. They were right. After some fireworks, Moné returned to AEW for the first time since losing the TBS title to Nightingale at December’s Dynamite New Year’s Smash.
Mercedes made it clear during her entrance that she aims to win the Owen again this year.
Windsor hung with the CEO through a commercial break while the AEW commentary team wondered about ring rust for Moné. But the returning star’s wrestling looked as good as her ring gear, and she picked up the win with a submission. Via Statement Maker, appropriately enough.
Moné advances to the semi-finals, where another match with Persephone looms. They faced each other twice in 2025, with Persephone beating Mercedes for the CMLL World Women’s title in the second last fall during Moné‘s belt dropping tour. Persephone does have to beat Stardom’s Hazuki first, but AEW Women’s World champion Thekla vowed to destroy her old promotion heading into Forbidden Door, so Hazuki and her co-workers may have bigger problems than the Owen.
The winners of the semis will battle for the Cup at that cross-promotional June 27 PPV, and the winner there gets to challenge for the belt currently in Thekla’s possession at August 30’s All In in Wembley Stadium.
Let us know if you’re picking against Mercedes Moné in The Owen down below. And get caught up on everything that happened on the June 3 Dynamite in the business’ best live here.
* Find out how that will be filled here.
