Hold onto your berets and war hammers, folks — what looked like a “coincidental” bracket placement is actually more of a plot twist in slow motion.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, the buzzworthy confrontation between TBS Champion Mercedes Moné and ROH Women’s Champion Athena this past Saturday on AEW Collision was no accident — and neither was their shared spot in the 2025 Women’s Owen Hart Cup. That’s right: the brackets aren’t just random, they’re engineered for violence.
🧠 The Setup: Not So Subtle
On Collision, Moné was still glowing after defeating Billie Starkz on Dynamite, sipping on victory and spitting shade toward Starkz’s mentor. Enter: Athena, with the body language of a woman who’s ready to punch through a tournament and a microphone.
“You wanna talk about my protégé? You just signed up for summer school, baby — and I’m the professor.”
According to Fightful, there were initial talks of having Moné vs. Athena happen at Dynasty this Sunday, but the match may be slow-cooked for maximum drama. While the report couldn’t confirm a PPV showdown this weekend, they did stress that both stars entering The Owen wasn’t just a “random draw.”
This is long-term storytelling, folks. And it’s marinated in championship gold.
🏆 The Stakes? Oh, Just a World Title Shot
The winner of the Women’s Owen Hart Cup will earn a shot at the AEW Women’s World Championship at All In: Texas on July 12 — where stadium lights meet superstar fights.
The confirmed field (so far) includes:
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Mercedes Moné
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Athena
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Billie Starkz (pending therapy)
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Jamie Hayter
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Thunder Rosa
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Kris Statlander
And if AEW wants to capitalize on the Moné vs. Athena dream match, they’ve got a whole bracket’s worth of story to tell first.
💬 Backstage Buzz Summary:
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Moné vs. Athena? Coming soon — and it’s definitely on purpose.
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Dynasty could’ve been the spot, but AEW might wait to let the heat simmer.
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Fightful confirms both women weren’t placed in the bracket “by accident.”
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This one has All In energy written all over it.