When did Mercedes Moné win her back-to-back Owen Hart Cup?

Mercedes Moné secured her historic back-to-back Owen Hart Cup victory on June 28, 2026. She achieved this historic milestone by defeating Maya World via submission at the Forbidden Door event, cementing her legacy as the only back-to-back winner of the tournament in history.

Who did Mercedes Moné defeat to win the IWGP Women's Championship?

Mercedes Moné defeated KAIRI to capture the IWGP Women's Championship at the Battle in the Valley event on February 18, 2023. The victory took place in San Jose and featured a brutal Moné Maker counter into a submission, proving she could draw money outside of WWE.

Why did Mercedes Moné take a hiatus from WWE in 2019?

Mercedes Moné took a major hiatus from WWE after her inaugural Women's Tag Team Championship run with Bayley was abruptly cut short. They lost the titles to the IIconics at WrestleMania 35, and the frustrating booking decision prompted her to walk away due to falling creative standards.

How did Mercedes Moné win the NJPW Strong Women's Championship?

Mercedes Moné won the NJPW Strong Women's Championship by defeating Stephanie Vaquer at the Forbidden Door event on June 30, 2024. Despite a hostile crowd cheering for Vaquer, Moné secured the victory with a Statement Maker after Vaquer missed a diving cross-body.

What happened during the first women's Hell in a Cell match?

In the historic match on October 30, 2016, Mercedes Moné main-evented against Charlotte Flair. While it proved women could headline major shows, Moné lost in her hometown of Boston, and a failed table spot resulted in a clunky visual on the live broadcast.

Top 10: Top Moments

The Big Picture

Mercedes Moné is rewriting the record books. Her submission victory over Maya World at Forbidden Door on June 28, 2026, cemented her place as the only back-to-back Owen Hart Cup winner in history. This list ranks her ten defining career moments based on match quality, drawing power, and historical weight.

The Top 10 Career Moments

10. The First Women's Hell in a Cell Match (October 30, 2016)

Moné main-evented her first WWE pay-per-view against Charlotte Flair inside the steel structure in Boston. The match made history but suffered from questionable booking. Having Moné lose in her hometown deflated the crowd and took the shine off the historic moment. The table spot failed to break, leaving a clunky visual on the live broadcast. Still, it proved women could headline major shows and work high-risk stipulations. This paved the way for future women's main events.

9. Winning the Inaugural WWE Women's Tag Team Titles (February 17, 2019)

Moné teamed with Bayley to win the new titles inside the Elimination Chamber, lasting over 32 minutes. They started the match and finished it, pinning Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville for the win. The victory was supposed to kickstart a tag team revolution across both brands. Instead, WWE booking quickly derailed the run, losing the belts to the IIconics at WrestleMania 35. That booking blunder led to Moné's first major hiatus from the company. It showed her willingness to walk away when creative standards fell.

8. Winning the IWGP Women's Title at Battle in the Valley (February 18, 2023)

Moné defeated KAIRI in San Jose to capture her first championship outside of WWE. The match went 26 minutes and featured a brutal Moné Maker counter into a submission. The victory proved Moné could draw money on the independent and international scene. It was a statement match that validated her decision to walk out of WWE. However, her reign was cut short by an ankle injury later that spring. That injury halted what could have been a historic run in Japan.

7. Defeating Stephanie Vaquer at Forbidden Door (June 30, 2024)

Moné walked into Long Island and walked out with the NJPW Strong Women's Championship in a title-versus-title match. She overcame a hostile crowd that cheered Vaquer's hard-hitting offense. Moné won with a Statement Maker after Vaquer missed a diving cross-body. The win unified her TBS Title dominance with international gold. Critics noted the match started slow, but the final five-minute stretch was pure drama. It showed Moné's ability to win over a skeptical audience through sheer work rate.

6. Capturing the TBS Championship at Double or Nothing (May 26, 2024)

Moné returned to the ring after a year-long injury layoff to defeat Willow Nightingale in Las Vegas. The match went 18 minutes and ended with a Moné Maker on the mat. The victory secured her first major championship in AEW. It also avenged the injury that sidelined her during their previous encounter. Some fans complained the build was too long, but the in-ring delivery silenced the skeptics. The win established her as the focal point of the AEW women's division.

5. The Boston "Big Business" Debut (March 13, 2024)

Moné signed with AEW and debuted in front of a sold-out hometown crowd at the TD Garden. The signing changed the balance of power in the women's division immediately. She opened the show with a promo that drew massive ratings for TBS. While her initial promos felt slightly scripted and robotic, the visual of her standing on the stage was iconic. It set the stage for her dominant championship runs that followed. The debut proved that she remained one of the biggest stars in the entire industry.

4. Confronting KAIRI at Wrestle Kingdom 17 (January 4, 2023)

Moné made her first post-WWE appearance at the Tokyo Dome, confronting the IWGP Women's Champion. She walked out to a modified theme song and immediately laid out KAIRI. The appearance generated millions of views on social media within hours. It was a massive PR victory for New Japan Pro Wrestling. The segment was clunky, as Moné botched her initial move, but the impact remained huge. It signaled to the wrestling world that she was done playing by WWE's rules.

3. Winning Back-to-Back Owen Hart Cups (June 28, 2026)

Moné made history by defeating Maya World at Forbidden Door to win her second consecutive tournament. She won via submission after targeting her opponent's neck for over 15 minutes. The victory makes her the first person, male or female, to win the cup back-to-back. She immediately teased a future match with Bayley in AEW, as BodySlam.net reported. Next, she faces Thekla at All In at Wembley Stadium on August 30th. This win cements her status as AEW's ultimate tournament competitor.

2. Main Eventing WrestleMania 37 (April 10, 2021)

Moné and Bianca Belair became the first Black women to main-event WrestleMania in Tampa. The match was an athletic masterclass that won an ESPY for Best WWE Moment. Belair won the SmackDown Women's Championship after a devastating KOD at the 17-minute mark. Moné's selling in the final minutes made Belair an instant superstar. It was the peak of Moné's WWE run and proved her main-event credentials on the biggest stage. This match broke barriers and set a new standard for WrestleMania main events.

1. Facing Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn (August 22, 2015)

This match did not just steal the show; it changed the trajectory of women's wrestling. Moné defended the NXT Women's Championship against Bayley in front of over 15,000 fans. The match went 22 minutes and featured a reverse hurricanrana off the top rope. Bayley won with a Bayley-to-Belly to capture the title. It remains the benchmark for storytelling and in-ring execution in modern wrestling history. This is the match that defined a generation and built the foundation of the modern women's evolution.

Honorable Mentions

Her championship victory over Charlotte Flair on the July 25, 2016, Raw episode.
Her NXT matches against Io Shirai that displayed her technical range.
Her tag team title defense with Bayley at Payback 2020.