AEW: Crown the Queen of Hearts: Previewing the 2026 AEW Owen Hart Women’s Tournament

Crown the Queen of Hearts: Previewing the 2026 AEW Owen Hart Women’s Tournament

Just like the men’s division, the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament has evolved into a vital summer staple. Honoring the indelible legacy of Owen Hart alongside Dr. Martha Hart and the Owen Hart Foundation, this tournament isn’t just about premium technical wrestling—it alters the entire trajectory of the women’s division.

With a guaranteed AEW Women’s World Championship match at All In at Wembley Stadium waiting for the winner, the 2026 field features a highly international, unpredictable lineup of elite competitors.

Previous Women’s Tournament Winners

The history of the women’s Owen Cup is a testament to the high caliber of the division, with every winner leveraging the trophy into massive career milestones:

• 2022: Britt Baker, D.M.D. (defeated Ruby Soho in the inaugural final)

• 2023: Willow Nightingale (defeated Ruby Soho)

• 2024: Mariah May (defeated Toni Storm, going on to capture the AEW Women’s World Title)

• 2025: Mercedes Moné (defeated Kris Statlander)

The 2026 Women’s Bracket & Opening Round Drama

The 2026 bracket was blown wide open before it even truly began. Originally, 2023 tournament winner Willow Nightingale was set to anchor the left side of the bracket against NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion Alex Windsor. However, a sudden shoulder injury forced Willow to pull out of the tournament and relinquish her TBS Championship, prompting AEW to introduce a mystery Wild Card entrant to take her place.

The full 8-woman cross-promotional field brings together top stars from AEW, Ring of Honor (ROH), STARDOM, and CMLL:

Left Side of the BracketRight Side of the BracketPersephone vs. HazukiMina Shirakawa vs. AthenaMercedes Moné (Wild Card) vs. Alex WindsorSkye Blue vs. Sareee

Tournament Status & Who Has Advanced So Far

The tournament is officially underway with massive implications spinning out of the initial block of matches:

• Mercedes Moné shocked the world by returning as the mystery Wild Card entrant on Dynamite. In a highly competitive match against Alex Windsor, “The CEO” locked in the Statement Maker to force a submission, successfully advancing to the semi-finals and keeping her dreams of a back-to-back tournament victory alive.

• The upcoming slate features STARDOM’s high-speed sensation Hazuki making her highly anticipated AEW debut against CMLL’s formidable Persephone on Collision.

• On the right side of the bracket, a blockbuster first-round clash is locked in between STARDOM favorite Mina Shirakawa and the dominant ROH Women’s World Champion, Athena.

• Rounding out the opening round is a hard-hitting encounter between the dark, reinvented Skye Blue and the elite Joshi freelancer, Sareee.

Who Should Win and Why?

The Prediction: Mina Shirakawa should win the 2026 Owen Hart Women’s Tournament.

While the story of Mercedes Moné repeating as champion to reclaim her throne is a heavy favorite, Mina Shirakawa represents the perfect mix of narrative urgency and cross-promotional magic that makes the modern AEW women’s division shine.

Mina has routinely proven she is far more than just an entertaining personality—she is a fierce, technically sound ring general who can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the world.

With AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla currently declaring “death to STARDOM” and escalating her war against the Japanese promotion, Mina winning the Owen Cup creates an incredible, deeply personal story. It sets up an emotional, high-stakes international showcase at All In in Wembley Stadium, giving Mina the ultimate stage to cement her status as a global megastar.

Conclusion

The 2026 Owen Hart Women’s Tournament acts as a magnificent showcase of how global women’s wrestling has become, blending cultures and hard-hitting styles in a way Owen Hart would deeply appreciate. With the tournament finals set for Forbidden Door on June 28, the road to Wembley is guaranteed to be paved with breathtaking matches, ensuring that the legacy of the Hart family continues to inspire the very best of a new generation.