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Mercedes Mone has positioned herself at the top of the pro wrestling business since arriving in AEW in March 2024. The CEO has become one of the biggest stars in the industry and continues to thrive as a champion.
Along the way, The CEO has become a belt collector in her own right. She is the current holder of the TBS Title, NJPW Strong Women's Title, and also the RevPro Undisputed British Women's Title, earning the nickname Four Belts Mone. Now, she has her eyes set on adding the AEW Women's World Title to her collection.
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To get her title shot, Mercedes Mone has entered the 2025 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament and has already defeated Julia Hart in the first round. She is set to battle Athena on the upcoming edition of AEW Dynamite. Despite her momentum, it would make more sense if she lost, and here are three reasons why Tony Khan should book her to lose.
#3 Athena needs a major push in AEW after a long absence
Mercedes Mone is already one of the most established names in the wrestling world. However, it is safe to say that Athena is not as big an attraction as The CEO, despite being the longest-reigning ROH Women's World Champion with an incredible title reign.
While Athena has been a top fixture for Ring of Honor, she was away from AEW TV for a long time before her recent comeback. Therefore, Athena needs a huge win to secure a major push in the Tony Khan-led promotion.
#2 Defeating a top star like Mercedes Mone would make Athena a main event player in the AEW women’s division
As mentioned earlier, The CEO is one of the top names in the AEW women's division. Interestingly, she has remained undefeated in the company ever since her debut.
AEW has the perfect opportunity to build a new top star in Athena with the help of Mone. The former Ember Moon already has a lot of momentum by her side. Hence, she should be the one to hand the veteran her first AEW defeat.
#1 Athena has not had a major title match in AEW
Athena has competed in some of the most remarkable title matches in Ring of Honor during her 900-plus-day reign as the Women's World Champion. However, she has yet to receive a major title opportunity in AEW. Should Athena defeat Mercedes Mone and win the Owen Hart Cup in the future, she could achieve that goal.
The winner of the Owen Cup will compete for the AEW Women's World Title at the company's biggest show, All In: Texas. This could be the perfect stage for Athena to have her first major title opportunity and cement herself as a top talent on the AEW roster.
