The primary finalist in the ladies’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament was determined on the June 17 episode of “AEW Dynamite,” and after a lengthy back-and-forth contest, Mercedes Mone punched her ticket to a second consecutive Owen Hart Cup final, defeating STARDOM’s Hazuki.
Mone kicked off proceedings together with her usual confidence, but Hazuki held her own to the purpose where she kept Mone out of the ring because the match entered the industrial break. Hazuki attempted to construct momentum however it was no use as Mone quickly got herself back within the match, countering every part that Hazuki threw at her.
Coming out of the break, Mone continued to go for the win by countering a Tilterwhirl Head Scissors right into a Lungblower but only got a two count. She would take the motion back to the surface by slamming Hazuki’s head into the apron before once more attempting to get the win. Nevertheless, Hazuki fired herself up and got back into the match with a trio of Tope Suicidas, which got the gang firmly behind the STARDOM star. She followed up with a Shotgun Drop Kick from the highest which earned a near fall, but she kept on the previous AEW TBS Champion by locking in a Crossface, which Mone was in a position to escape from.
As Hazuki got Mone as much as proceed the motion, Mone mustered enough strength to hit two of the Three Amigos, before countering Hazuki’s counter by trapping her within the ropes and hitting a Meteora on the doorway ramp because the match entered one other industrial break. Throughout the break, Mone hit one other Meteora when the motion returned to the ring, in addition to a pair of knees within the corner as Hazuki struggled to distance herself from her dominant opponent. Back from the break and Mone missed with the running knees as Hazuki bought herself a while.
Mone looked to go for a 3rd Meteora but Hazuki hit a Lungblower of her own within the corner and followed it up with a Senton from the highest. Mone kicked out but got caught in one other Crossface, and despite rolling right into a Backslide, Hazuki kicked out and kept wrist control. A strike exchange resulted in a double down, and when each women got back to their feet, Hazuki hit a DDT and a Brainbuster but Mone rolled out of the ring to forestall a pinfall. Mone almost hit the Mone Maker but Hazuki rolled her up, resulting in a series of two counts from each women, but when Hazuki went for yet another roll-up, Mone caught her with a Backstabber, held on, and locked within the Statement Maker for the submission victory. Mone will head to Forbidden Door to face either Athena or Maya World within the finals.