"Well deserved"- Fans erupt after AEW star Mercedes Mone loses her title at NJPW Resurgence

Top AEW star Mercedes Mone suffered a huge blow to her momentum this Friday at NJPW Resurgence. The CEO lost one of her prized titles to a budding Japanese grappler.

Since her blockbuster debut in the Tony Khan-led promotion last year, Mercedes has been on an unstoppable roll. She lived up to her promise of spearheading a global women's wrestling revolution by winning titles in international promotions outside of AEW. This included the NJPW Strong Women's Championship (which she won at last year's Forbidden Door) and the RevPro Undisputed British Women's Championship (which came into her possession at Wrestle Dynasty 2025).

Mone aims to add the AEW Women's World Title to her collection of belts and, to that end, has fought her way to the finals of the 2025 Women's Owen Hart Cup. Unfortunately, the erstwhile Sasha Banks suffered a huge setback at NJPW Resurgence 2025, where she defended the Strong Women's Title in a three-way match against Mina Shirakawa and AZM. The 22-year-old up-and-comer shocked fans by pinning Shirakawa and winning the belt, ending Mone's reign with the title at 313 days.

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Look who just shut down all of Tony Khan's critics! More HERE.

Fans quickly flocked to X to discuss the outcome of Mercedes' failed championship defense at Resurgence. Users congratulated AZM on her massive victory and even speculated that the latter pinning Mina for the win could serve as the basis for a program between Shirakawa and Mone in AEW.

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"Not a year, but I’m quite happy with that [smiley face]," a user wrote.

"Sets up Mercedes vs. AZM for Forbidden Door and gives Mina a story for when she debuts," a fan speculated.

"Shocking!" another commented.

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Mercedes Mone's 2025 Owen Hart Cup journey in AEW

Mercedes Mone's campaign in this year's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament began with a win over Julia Hart at Dynasty 2025 in the first round. The CEO then defeated record-breaking ROH Women's World Champion Athena in the semifinals at Dynamite: Spring BreakThru.

Mone is set to face Jamie Hayter in the final of the tournament later this month at Double or Nothing 2025. A win at the upcoming PPV will earn Mercedes a shot at the Women's World Championship at All In: Texas.

About the author

Anurag is an AEW writer for Sportskeeda Wrestling. He holds a BA and MA degree in English along with a TEFL certification to teach English. Before Sportskeeda, he worked as a Content and Correspondence writer at Nayabad Titas, a theater group. He has also worked as a English language tutor.

To ensure complete accuracy, he uses internet resources, social media platforms, and especially pieces composed by his peers to find solid, verified information that he presents as objectively as possible. Thanks to his academic background, he can research different subjects thoroughly.

Anurag's interest in wrestling began as a child. He watched RAW and Smackdown frequently from age 10 or 11 and was officially hooked by the YES Movement story in WWE heading into WrestleMania 30.

As a lifelong wrestling fan and lover of stories, Anurag would read news, articles, and other content about the talent and events he enjoyed watching. His understanding of the business continued to grow with time, and his interest in the art and sport of wrestling led him to pursue a career as a writer.

Apart from writing, he loves to read books, watch movies and television programs, play and listen to music, and write poetry and fiction.

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Edited by Anurag Mukherjee