Latest news with #Moné
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Women's Wrestling Wrap-Up: Jacy Jayne Dethrones Stephanie Vaquer, Mercedes Moné Wins Owen Hart Cup, IWGP Women's Title Defense
Jacy Jayne upsets Stephanie Vaquer on WWE NXT. Mercedes Moné wins the Owen Hart Cup. Syuri will head to England for her first IWGP Women's Championship defense, and more! Jacy Jayne Dethrones Stephanie Vaquer In Shocking NXT Main Event Last weekend, Stephanie Vaquer bested Jordynne Grace to retain the NXT Women's Championship at NXT Battleground. Still, a number of enemies surrounded her. Advertisement The following Tuesday on NXT, Vaquer learned that she'd then compete in a tag match at WWE X AAA Worlds Collide, with Lola Vice by her side and AAA stars Dalys and Chik Tormenta across the ring. Before that, she was to defend her NXT Women's Championship against Fatal Influence's Jacy Jayn in the main event of this week's NXT. Vaquer faced stacked odds in this title match as Dalys and Chik Tormenta attempted to interfere. In addition, Fatal Influence's Fallon Henley and Jazmyn Nyx lingered at ringside and weren't afraid to interfere as well. Their involvement, however, proved to be pivotal. As Nyx distracted the referee, Henley nailed Vaquer with a swinging kick, which allowed Jayne to follow-up with a spinning elbow for the win and the NXT Women's Championship. In aftermath of this shocking development, Jayne sent a message to her detractors. 'To everyone who ever doubted me, called me the third wheel, said I'd never make it… HAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!! Never doubt me again,' she wrote on Twitter/X. Meanwhile, the now-former NXT Women's Champion Stephanie Vaquer is expected to move up to WWE's main roster, with reports circling her next destination as the Raw brand. Jordynne Grace will reportedly follow suit, though for SmackDown. Advertisement RELATED: Fallon Henley Explains Her Actions During the NXT Women's Title Match On WWE NXT Mercedes Moné Wins Owen Hart Cup In the opener of AEW Double or Nothing, Mercedes Moné collided with Jamie Hayter in the finals of Women's Owen Hart Foundation tournament, with 'The CEO' emerging victorious. The final moments of their back-and-forth battle saw Moné setting up for a Tombstone Piledriver which Hayter countered with one of her own. Hayter then covered Moné, only to have her kick out. From there, Hayter called for a Hayterade, which Moné dodged. With momentum on her side, Moné subsequently rolled up Hayter for a three count, thus securing the win and the Owen Hart Cup. Additionally, Moné earned herself an AEW Women's Championship match at AEW All In on July 12. Following a successful title defense over Mina Shirakawa at Double or Nothing, AEW Women's Champion Toni Storm will be her opponent. The two met face-to-face on AEW Dynamite, with Moné foreseeing the greatest match of all time, just like Moné considers herself to be. Storm, however, clapped back with the point that she is 'Timeless,' while Moné deserves to have her time come to an end. Advertisement Words eventually escalated to physicality as the two countered each other's moves. Before Storm could hit a Storm Zero, Moné rolled out of the ring, leaving Storm to then celebrate with her title by her side in the ring as Dynamite went off the air. RELATED: Mercedes Moné Opens Up About the Star That Lured Her to AEW Syuri To Defend IWGP Women's Title In EVE Last month, Syuri defeated the ever-dominant Mayu Iwatani to claim the IWGP Women's Championship. Now, she looks ahead to her first title defense. While she usually shows off her skills in Japan, Syuri will head to Europe for this occasion, specifically Pro-Wrestling EVE in London, England. Her challenger? Former EVE Champion Alex Windsor. Advertisement 'Syuri will defend the IWGP Women's Championship against Alex Windsor at EVE 135 on Friday June 6 in Walthamstow, London,' EVE shared on X ahead of the event. Elsewhere at EVE 135: Hit Me Baby One More Time, Big Beefy B*tches (Emersyn Jayne & Rhio) will take on Pretty Psycho (Amira Blair & Zoe Lucas) to determine the number one contenders to the EVE Tag Team Championships, which are currently held by Harley Hudson and Lucy Sky. Additionally, EVE International Champion Anita Vaughan will defend her title against Lucia Lee. Meanwhile, newly crowned EVE Champion Nightshade will be in tag action alongside Rayne Leverkusen, Session Moth Martina, and Skye Smitson. This quartet will face the team of Alexxis Falcon, Bozilla, Lucy Sky, and Millie McKenzie. Advertisement READ MORE: Anita Vaughan Reflects On Will Ospreay's Pedigree on 'Triple H' Going Viral INTERVIEWS Former AEW Women's Champion Saraya chatted with Denise Salcedo about her transformation from WWE's Paige to becoming AEW Women's World Champion, her return to the ring after a career-threatening neck injury, friendships with stars like Toni Storm and Ruby Soho, and her evolution in and out of the ring, what's next for her, and more. TBS Champion Mercedes Mone joined Variety to discuss her AEW Double or Nothing match against Jamie Hayter, her dream intergender matches, the 10 anniversary of her WWE NXT Takeover Brooklyn bout against Bayley, thoughts on 'Timeless' Toni Storm, and more. Advertisement Former AEW Women's Champion Jamie Hayter spoke with Undisputed about her Women's Owen Hart Foundation match against Mercedes Mone, dealing with a back injury, her return to television last year, potentiating regaining the world title, and more. Former WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Natalya appeared on Sportkeeda WrestleBinge to talk about her thoughts on Women's Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria, her praised match against Rhea Ripley, Naomi finally getting a chance to shine, her relationship with Maxxine Dupri, and more. AEW star Willow Nightingale sat down with The Takedown on SI to confirm the news of her contract extension, and talk about the growth of the company over the last few years, her role in Anarchy in the Arena this Sunday at AEW Double or Nothing and more. The post Women's Wrestling Wrap-Up: Jacy Jayne Dethrones Stephanie Vaquer, Mercedes Moné Wins Owen Hart Cup, IWGP Women's Title Defense appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AEW Double or Nothing 2025 predictions roundtable: Do Will Ospreay and Mercedes Moné win the Owen Hart Tournament?
Will Ospreay is in the finals of the Owen Hart Tournament and could earn an AEW World Championship match if he wins at Double or Nothing 2025. Double or Nothing 2025, one of AEW's signature annual pay-per-views, takes place Sunday at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The eight-match card features three championship contests and the annual Anarchy in the Arena match that has become a fixture on the spring AEW tentpole. With AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and his Death Riders involved in the aforementioned Anarchy in the Arena match, the promotion's top title will not be on the line this weekend. That said, there will be significant building blocks for the rest of AEW's 2025 campaign as the men's and women's Owen Hart Tournament finals will be held, with the winners not only winning the brackets but also earning opportunities to compete for their division's respective top championships. Advertisement Ahead of the event, Uncrowned's wrestling crew of Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger dive into the card to answer burning questions and offer their predictions. 1. Who should win the Owen Hart Tournament final on the women's side? Sulla-Heffinger: This is one of the most interesting matchups on the entire card for me, because I see legitimate cases for both women walking out of Arizona victorious. You could argue there hasn't been a better talent — men's or women's — in AEW since Moné's debut with the promotion last year. Her work has confirmed that she's in the discussion as one of the greatest women's wrestlers of all time. Winning the Owen Hart Tournament and earning a shot at AEW's top women's title makes absolute sense. On the other hand, there have been cracks showing in Moné's dominant foundation, having dropped one of her titles over the past few weeks. A loss here continues that trend and adds a new wrinkle to her character. Plus, in an already impressive women's division, having Jamie Hayter pick up the win here helps build up another main-event star. Advertisement Ultimately, I think after an absolute banger of a match, Moné captures the crown and earns her AEW Women's Championship title shot. Riggs: I couldn't agree more with Anthony on this one. Hayter is freaking awesome, and her reign as champion feels like it was a decade ago — not just because of the time between now and then, but also because of her transformation. Putting Hayter over would be the proper "AEW move," if you get what I mean. The type of booking decision on which the company was built. However, Moné is the "bigger," flashier booking toward a super-match, if you will. And that's not at all to say it wouldn't also be appropriate, because Moné is undeniably one of the best in the world. Advertisement To give a definitive answer, AEW can't go wrong with either choice, but more signs point to Moné being the overall most logical and best winner. Jackman: This is a tricky one. If we're going on pure chemistry, I feel that Hayter is better placed to have an explosive feud with Toni Storm. It's been a while since we've seen those two go at it and they've both come on leaps and bounds in that time. That makes me think Hayter deserves to strut her stuff with the champion. On the other hand, if we're going on what's best for business, I'd pick Moné on the grounds that it allows you to make the necessary move of consolidating the two women's titles. The blunt reality is that there just isn't the depth of talent there to have two singles titles — and the TBS Championship has never really established its own identity. If I were in Tony Khan's shoes, I'd put Moné over and then turn the resulting title showdown into a unification match. I guess that really would be 'double or nothing' given that the winner would be leaving with all the gold or none of it… Advertisement Dansby: Mercedes Moné vs. Toni Storm is the money feud, no doubt. AEW's done a great job keeping them apart until now, and that tension finally snaps at Double or Nothing. Moné should go over Jamie Hayter here. It's the right call, especially if AEW wants to launch a top-tier program that could headline a pay-per-view later this year. Mercedes and Toni have chemistry, star power and history. A win kicks off what could be AEW's biggest women's storyline to date. Will Ospreay takes on Jon Moxley in New Japan Pro-Wrestling in January 2024. () (Etsuo Hara via Getty Images) 2. All signs point to an eventual coronation of Will Ospreay as AEW's top guy. A tournament win lines him up to face Jon Moxley this summer. Is there ANY reason to delay what feels inevitable? Riggs: No. No, no and no again. Primarily, because the Moxley reign of terror simply has to end. It's run beyond its expiration date to the point where I don't even think it will feel big and special anymore once he does lose. That's how over it people have gotten, and rightfully so. It sucks to say that because Moxley is genuinely great — just not as this Death Riders character. Advertisement Some kind of magic will be made in the near future with Hangman Adam Page, and the versatility of that would be the only reason to delay Ospreay, specifically. Jackman: Having just filed 800 words on this very question, I'll keep it short for fear of self-plagiarism. My view is that it is absolutely imperative we see a passing of the torch in AEW this summer, and Will Ospreay is uniquely well-placed to make that happen. The man really is at the top of his game right now and it would be absolute folly not to recognize it by making him champion by the end of the year. In truth, though, it goes even deeper than Ospreay and Moxley. I've written before that perhaps the biggest indictment of AEW is the lack of homemade stars among its world champions, almost all of whom are former WWE bigwigs. If AEW can't add its most talented wrestler to its roster of champions, they have a bigger problem than I thought. Dansby: The only real reason to hold off on Ospreay winning is if Darby Allin returns to finish what he started with Moxley. Darby's climb up the actual Mount Everest put that story on pause, and Moxley's title reign feels like it's been extended to wait for him. If Darby is ready to go, you could argue for giving him the shot first. Advertisement Otherwise, it's Ospreay's time. He's been on fire, the fans are behind him, and he's clearly being positioned as the guy to carry AEW into its next era. No need to wait. Sulla-Heffinger: Is there a case? Sure, having Hangman win here and going after Moxley as one of AEW's OGs makes some degree of booking sense. Should it happen? No. Ospreay isn't just the future of AEW, he's the present as well. After a polarizing championship reign from Moxley, the top of AEW's card desperately needs a refresh and Ospreay should be the one who provides it. One of the signature moments in AEW history was Bryan Danielson's win over Swerve Strickland last summer at All In London. Ospreay taking down Moxley and the Death Riders in Texas this July would generate a pop similar to, if not bigger than that. Kazuchika Okada defends his AEW Continental Championship against "Speedball" Mike Bailey. () (Etsuo Hara via Getty Images) 3. Which match are you the most excited about or feel is a dark horse contender to steal the show? Jackman: I'm going to tip my hat to 'Speedball' Mike Bailey on this one, who has consistently been one of the most entertaining guys on the televised shows since his debut back in March. Advertisement Admittedly this isn't his first PPV outing for AEW, but I think it's a safe bet that he will be keen to make an impression when he goes up against the legend Kazuchika Okada. Sulla-Heffinger: I've mentioned Moné-Hayter as the most intriguing and I don't think you'll find anyone who doesn't think Ospreay-Hangman will be a stunner, so I'm going to eliminate those two. I am wildly excited to see what chaos Mark Briscoe and Ricochet create with a stretcher match. I'm on record saying some of the over-the-top hardcore stuff isn't my favorite, but I think the creativity these two men will bring will overshadow any gratuitous violence that might come along with the match. Dansby: It's not really a dark horse, but Anarchy in the Arena has the best shot at stealing the show. Advertisement This match is always wild, and AEW has built it up perfectly this year. The chaos is part of the fun, and with Moxley guaranteed to bleed, plus the addition of the women into the mix, it's going to feel fresh. Big moments, wild spots, total unpredictability — this one has all the ingredients to be the most talked-about match of the night. Riggs: Once again, I really like Anthony's choice here and vibe with it. I'll mix it up though, and shout Toni Storm vs. Mina Shirakawa, which should have some fun callbacks and silly spots. You just know they're going to get creative with the finish on this one, and I'm quite curious to see what the ladies cook up. Swerve Strickland takes center stage in this year's Anarchy In The Arena match. (Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 4. AEW has historically done a great job with Anarchy in the Arena and this year has arguably the biggest lineup of stars involved, yet it isn't the main event. Where do you slot it in on the show? Dansby: Honestly, let it open the show. Kick things off with mayhem and get the crowd fired up right away. Moxley's entrance, Swerve's pop, the brawl spilling into every corner of the building — it's the kind of chaos that sets the tone early. Advertisement Then, follow it with something more story-driven to cool the crowd down a bit. The tag title match with The Hurt Syndicate vs. Dustin Rhodes and Sons of Texas fits perfectly there. That match is more about MJF's story with the group than the belts, so it works as a transition before the next big fight. Riggs: Opening with the match immediately springs to mind, but the more I think about it, that would feel weird, especially if the match has its usual backstage chaos. So, the next best thing would be the second match! Do I think that will happen? No. It's either opening or "co-main event." Because Death Riders. Advertisement Jackman: I love the devious assumption buried in the question here. You're presupposing that I've booked this total mess and then you're asking me where I'd place it on the card. It's a bit like putting me in charge of an expensive restaurant and then asking where to add the jello shots on the set menu… OK, I'm being a little unfair here. Obviously this one will be a lot of fun, even if — on paper — it looks like an attempt to cram in every big name who doesn't have an obvious place on the pay-per-view card. Given that, I'd probably plonk it right in the middle of the evening. That way you can pick up the energy levels if necessary and anyone who dislikes these big hardcore matches can go and grab a beer instead. Sulla-Heffinger: With Ospreay-Hangman locked in as the main event of the show this boils down to one of two spots — penultimate match or show opener — with the Women's Owen Hart Tournament final taking the other slot. Personally, I like having Moné-Hayter go on second to last because you get a chance for the winner of Storm-Shirakawa to confront their next challenger after the match. In addition, if you open the show with Anarchy in the Arena — and the Death Riders team wins — you get the potential to have them beat down the Ospreay-Hangman winner to close the show. Advertisement Opening with Anarchy in the Arena is a way to get the fans in attendance and watching at home immediately invested and locked in, plus you don't run the risk of crowd fatigue for the main event if this goes on second to last. On a side note, this show having just eight announced matches is a welcome change from previous AEW pay-per-views, which felt overloaded and overwhelming at times from a fan — and media — perspective. Toni Storm defends her AEW Women's World Championship against Mina Shirakawa. () (Etsuo Hara via Getty Images) 5. There are just three championships on the line. Will any change hands in what feels like a relatively low-stakes show in terms of gold at stake? Jackman: I think Tony Khan has made the (wise) decision to keep the focus on the two Owen Hart matches and what they will mean for the respective world title scenes further down the line. It's exactly what the WWE does with Money in the Bank and Elimination Chamber, for example, and there's a reason it works well for them. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if 'Speedball' picks up a win here. Advertisement Sulla-Heffinger: Outside of the AEW World Championship, the company is in a really good spot with its current champions right now, so I don't necessarily think anything needs to be changed on this show. But, for the sake of the question, much like I said with building up Hayter, "Speedball" Mike Bailey going over on Kazuchika Okada would be a major moment for one of the rising stars on AEW's mid-card. Riggs: I can see a case for Mike Bailey taking the strap off Okada, just because of the impending continuation of the Kenny Omega vs. Okada feud. However, I doubt that happens because the two legends could instead go into their big collision both wearing gold, and ideally unifying the titles into one. That's a whole lot of optimism there, and it's probably wrong — but in the end, I'm thinking every champ will successfully defend at Double Or Nothing. Advertisement Dansby: Probably not. All three title matches should deliver in their own way, but none of them feel like they're setting up for a big switch. Okada vs. Speedball will be a technical showcase — smooth, fast-paced and super crisp. Toni Storm vs. Mina Shirakawa should be fun and dramatic, laying the groundwork for a big title defense down the line. And The Hurt Syndicate with MJF looks more focused on character development than a title shocker. The stakes are more about stories than belts this time around, which is fine when the storytelling's this strong. Predictions: Men's Owen Hart Tournament Finals: Hangman Page vs. Will Ospreay (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) Women's Owen Hart Tournament Finals: Jamie Hayter vs. Mercedes Moné (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) Anarchy in the Arena Match: Kenny Omega, Swerve Strickland, Willow Nightingale, Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata (Dansby, Riggs) vs. The Death Riders & The Young Bucks (Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger) AEW Women's World Championship: Toni Storm (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Mina Shirakawa AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Sons Of Texas (Sammy Guevara & Dustin Rhodes) AEW Continental Championship Match: Kazuchika Okada (Dansby, Riggs) vs. Mike Bailey (Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger) Stretcher Match: Mark Briscoe vs. Ricochet (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) FTR (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs) vs. Nigel McGuiness & Daniel Garcia (Sulla-Heffinger) 2025 standings
Boston Globe
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Wrestling champ Mercedes Moné is ready for her Boston homecoming
Advertisement Moné, who previously went by the ring name Sasha Banks during her decade-long stint in the WWE, promotion's TBS champion, with hopes of taking the Women's World Championship title. Outside of the ring, she's also a budding actress, having made her acting debut in 2020 in the Star Wars show Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up As AEW comes back to Boston, Moné opens up about her career, mean tweets, and how being a female wrestler can be wicked hard. AEW champion wrestler Mercedes Moné at View Boston, atop the Prudential Center, on Tuesday. John Vitti Q. When did you come to Boston and where did you live? A. I moved here when I was 16 years old. I came from Minnesota, before that, and before that was I was in Oregon, Iowa, and California. I started online school when I was 13 years old. I have a brother with disabilities, so I left school so I could be at home to help take care of him. I was here for four years before I signed with the WWE when I was 20 years old. Advertisement Q. With the two shows at MGM Music Hall, what will this week be like? A. I'll be wrestling at 'AEW Dynamite,' which is on Wednesday. I will be wrestling Athena, who is the longest-reigning Ring of Honor champion, in the semifinals of the Owen Hart Foundation tournament. She's done things that I've never seen women's wrestlers do in the United States, and she's been doing it for 20 years — and she's just still getting her name out there. I'm super excited. This is like a dream match for me. Thursday, I have no idea if I'm going to be wrestling. It all depends on the outcome of Wednesday, but it's going to be a special two-day event of AEW here in Boston. Q. What was last year like when you made your AEW debut at TD Garden? A. The Garden was so significant to me, because I always drove around it. I used to work at the Royal Sonesta [in Cambridge], and I could see across the street every single day, and I always envisioned myself, 'I'm going to be wrestling there one day.' Q. It seems that being a female in the wrestling business has layers of challenges. A. [Yes,] it's very difficult. I started out at the New England Pro Wrestling Academy in North Andover right when I turned 18 years old (because I could sign that paper by myself), and I was the only woman in that school for a whole year . And because I was so passionate and so dedicated to what I wanted, Advertisement Mercedes Moné (top) gets the better of Robyn Renegade during a March 29 match in Milwaukee. Ricky Havlik/AEW Q. For female wrestlers, is it fair to say that people at home don't understand the scrutiny they endure over every aspect of their looks? A. No, they don't. And it takes a lot. It's the costumes, the hair, the nails, the makeup, going to the gym, making sure you're still fit, finding the right outfits. I love to be glitz and glams and looking five stars wherever I go. I want to feel royal wherever I go. It takes an extra two hours for a woman just to get ready. The guys can just wake up, spritz their hair with some water and go out on the streets and call it a day. It is so hard to be a woman wrestler. But it's a beautiful feeling to know that I can do all this stuff and do it better than the guys, and they're looking at me like, 'Oh, is she gonna main event tonight because this and that?' And, like, no, it's because I'm that good, and I do it better than you guys, and I wake up extra early to try to look better than you guys. So it all goes hand in hand. Q. When you started, social media wasn't what it is today, where you have Advertisement A. I remember when I first got on social media, and I was so scared to post ... and now you have to as your job, you need social media to reach a different audience. It's global. It's worldwide. You have to connect. But when I first got hired to NXT and I was reading all these tweets that fans were tweeting at me, I would break down from this stuff, because you're thinking these real-life people are criticizing you, they're judging you, they're saying mean things about you. But on the other hand, you have people who are praising you and saying good things about you. So you can't look at it one way or another, because you have to know inside of your heart the work you put in, what you've done for this outcome. And for me, thankfully, I've grown to learn that social media is just a steppingstone. It helps me connect to my fans, but I don't need to read their comments to feel a certain way, because I know how I want to feel every single day when I wake up. Mercedes Moné arrives for a match during a March 19 match in Omaha, Neb., that was broadcast on "AEW Dynamite." Ricky Havlik/AEW Q. Now that you've been doing this for a while, is it easier? A. No, every time before I go [in the ring], I'm still freaking out. I won't say it's the same feeling when I first started. I remember I would cry before every match and come back and cry after. Now I take it in and go, 'Mercedes, what did you learn from that?' So you can learn even more and go to the next step and not cry about it. But I still get the butterflies, I still get the nerves. I still feel like I'm about to throw up before I go out there, because it's live. Advertisement We have no idea what's going to happen. We have expectations. But performing live in front of the audience that can go any direction, that can chant any way, that can move mountains, that they can change the directions of the match depending how loud they want to be. I can slip, I can fall, I can break something. You never know what's going to happen in that squared circle. So it just gives you this, this adrenaline of like, 'OK, God, just protect me and let me do what I love, and don't let me cry when I come back.' That's it. Interview was edited and condensed. John Vitti can be reached at
