The Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, also known as the Owen Hart Cup, is a series of professional wrestling tournaments produced annually by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in partnership with The Owen Hart Foundation. It consists of two single-elimination tournaments, one each for men and women, and the respective winners receive a trophy called "The Owen" as well as a commemorative championship belt, and beginning in 2024, matches for AEW's men's and women's world championships. Established in September 2021, the inaugural tournaments concluded at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view in May 2022 where Adam Cole and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. won the men's and women's tournaments, respectively. It is named in honor of Owen Hart, who wrestled primarily in Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; renamed WWE in 2002), and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) from 1986 until his death in 1999.
Background
editIn September 2021, the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced the establishment of the Owen Hart Cup, an annual tournament to honor the legacy of Owen Hart, a prominent wrestler during the 1980s and 1990s who died at the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF, now WWE) Over the Edge pay-per-view in 1999. The tournament was established in collaboration with The Owen Hart Foundation.[1] On December 17, AEW revealed that there would be both a men's and women's version of the tournament,[2] and the respective winners would receive a trophy called "The Owen Cup"[1] as well as championship belts modeled after the old Stampede Wrestling North American Championship. Based on the Hart Family pink and black, the Women's winner receives a pink belt while the Men's winner receives a black belt. It was also confirmed that the tournaments would begin in May, culminating with the finals at Double or Nothing.[3] In deciding why there would be both a men's and women's tournament, Tony Khan likened it to Wimbledon, which also has both men's and women's tournaments.[4]
On the April 26, 2023, episode of Dynamite, Khan announced that the 2023 tournament's opening ceremony would occur at that year's Double or Nothing PPV. He also said that tournament matches would happen in Owen's home country of Canada at the Forbidden Door PPV, and the tournament would conclude in Owen's hometown of Calgary, Alberta, on the fifth episode of Collision on July 15.[5] For 2023, both the men's and women's tournaments featured an eight wrestler field, and wrestlers from AEW partner promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) also participated.[6]
On the Double or Nothing Buy-In, Khan announced that the 2024 tournament would take place and the tournament would conclude in Owen's hometown of Calgary, Alberta, on Dynamite on July 10. The winners of both tournaments would receive a match for the respective world championship in their division (the AEW World Championship for the men, and the AEW Women's World Championship for the women) at All In.[7][8]
Winners
edit| Year | Winners | Event | Date | City | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. | Double or Nothing | May 29, 2022 | Paradise, NV, United States | T-Mobile Arena | Defeated Ruby Soho in the final. |
| Adam Cole | Defeated Samoa Joe in the final. | |||||
| 2023 | Willow Nightingale | Collision | July 15, 2023 | Calgary, AB, Canada | Scotiabank Saddledome | Defeated Ruby Soho in the final. |
| Ricky Starks | Defeated CM Punk in the final. | |||||
| 2024 | Bryan Danielson | Dynamite | July 10, 2024 | Defeated "Hangman" Adam Page in the final and earned an AEW World Championship match at All In. | ||
| Mariah May | Defeated Willow Nightingale in the final and earned an AEW Women's World Championship match at All In. |
Tournament
edit2022
editWomen's
edit| Qualifiers Dynamite (March 30, April 6 and 20, 2022) Rampage (April 1, 8, and 15, May 6, 2022) | Quarterfinals Dynamite (May 11 and 18, 2022) Rampage (May 13 and 20, 2022) | Semifinals Dynamite (May 25, 2022) Rampage (May 27, 2022) | Final Double or Nothing (May 29, 2022) | ||||||||||||
| The Bunny | 8:41 | ||||||||||||||
| Toni Storm | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Toni Storm | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Jamie Hayter | 8:32 | ||||||||||||||
| Jamie Hayter | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Skye Blue | 5:38 | ||||||||||||||
| Toni Storm | 9:02 | ||||||||||||||
| Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. | Sub | ||||||||||||||
| Danielle Kamela | 6:12 | ||||||||||||||
| Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. | Sub | ||||||||||||||
| Maki Itoh[a] | 6:44 | ||||||||||||||
| — | — | ||||||||||||||
| — | Bye | ||||||||||||||
| Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Ruby Soho | 13:20 | ||||||||||||||
| Riho | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Yuka Sakazaki | 9:18 | ||||||||||||||
| Riho | 9:07 | ||||||||||||||
| Ruby Soho | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Ruby Soho | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Robyn Renegade | 8:22 | ||||||||||||||
| Ruby Soho | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Kris Statlander | 10:06 | ||||||||||||||
| Red Velvet | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Willow Nightingale | 5:16 | ||||||||||||||
| Red Velvet | 7:35 | ||||||||||||||
| Kris Statlander[b] | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Hikaru Shida | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Julia Hart | 7:08 | ||||||||||||||
Men's
edit| Qualifiers Dynamite (April 6, 20, and 27, May 4, 2022) Rampage (April 22 and 29, 2022) | Quarterfinals Dynamite (May 11 and 18, 2022) | Semifinals Dynamite (May 18 and 25, 2022) | Final Double or Nothing (May 29, 2022) | ||||||||||||
| Max Caster | 2:43 | ||||||||||||||
| Samoa Joe | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Samoa Joe | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Johnny Elite[a] | 10:25 | ||||||||||||||
| — | — | ||||||||||||||
| — | Bye | ||||||||||||||
| Samoa Joe | TKO | ||||||||||||||
| Kyle O'Reilly | 12:38 | ||||||||||||||
| Dante Martin | 9:38 | ||||||||||||||
| Rey Fénix | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Rey Fénix | 12:00 | ||||||||||||||
| Kyle O'Reilly | Sub | ||||||||||||||
| Kyle O'Reilly | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Jungle Boy | 13:02 | ||||||||||||||
| Samoa Joe | 12:30 | ||||||||||||||
| Adam Cole | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Adam Cole | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Tomohiro Ishii | 11:14 | ||||||||||||||
| Adam Cole | Sub | ||||||||||||||
| Dax Harwood | 15:34 | ||||||||||||||
| Dax Harwood | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Cash Wheeler | 15:05 | ||||||||||||||
| Adam Cole | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Jeff Hardy | 7:10 | ||||||||||||||
| Swerve Strickland | 10:23 | ||||||||||||||
| Darby Allin | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Darby Allin | 10:16 | ||||||||||||||
| Jeff Hardy | Pin[c] | ||||||||||||||
| Bobby Fish | 10:20 | ||||||||||||||
| Jeff Hardy | Pin | ||||||||||||||
2023
editWomen's
edit| Quarterfinals Rampage (June 23, 2023) Collision (June 24, 2023) Forbidden Door: Zero Hour (June 25, 2023) Dynamite (July 5, 2023) | Semifinals Dynamite (July 12, 2023) Rampage (July 14, 2023) | Final Collision (July 15, 2023) | ||||||||||||
| Anna Jay A.S. | 9:20 | |||||||||||||
| Skye Blue | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Skye Blue | 8:13 | |||||||||||||
| Ruby Soho | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. | 10:07 | |||||||||||||
| Ruby Soho | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Ruby Soho | 9:12 | |||||||||||||
| Willow Nightingale | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Nyla Rose | 8:55 | |||||||||||||
| Willow Nightingale | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Athena | 10:00 | |||||||||||||
| Willow Nightingale | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Athena | 7:50 | |||||||||||||
| Billie Starkz | Pin | |||||||||||||
Men's
edit| Quarterfinals Forbidden Door (June 25, 2023) Collision (July 1, 2023) | Semifinals Collision (July 8, 2023) | Final Collision (July 15, 2023) | ||||||||||||
| CM Punk | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Satoshi Kojima | 13:40 | |||||||||||||
| CM Punk | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Samoa Joe | 15:36 | |||||||||||||
| Samoa Joe | Sub | |||||||||||||
| Roderick Strong | 12:42 | |||||||||||||
| CM Punk | 19:36 | |||||||||||||
| Ricky Starks | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Dustin Rhodes | 13:25 | |||||||||||||
| Powerhouse Hobbs | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Powerhouse Hobbs | 10:44 | |||||||||||||
| Ricky Starks | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Ricky Starks | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Juice Robinson | 12:32 | |||||||||||||
2024
editWomen's
edit| Quarterfinals Dynamite (June 19, 2024) Rampage (June 21, 2024) Collision (June 29, 2024) Forbidden Door: Zero Hour (June 30, 2024) | Semifinals Dynamite: Beach Break (July 3, 2024) Rampage: Beach Break (July 5, 2024) | Final Dynamite (July 10, 2024) | ||||||||||||
| Willow Nightingale | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Serena Deeb | 11:00 | |||||||||||||
| Willow Nightingale | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Kris Statlander | 8:10 | |||||||||||||
| Kris Statlander | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Nyla Rose | 7:50 | |||||||||||||
| Willow Nightingale | 12:50 | |||||||||||||
| Mariah May | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Deonna Purrazzo | 9:05 | |||||||||||||
| Hikaru Shida | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Hikaru Shida | 12:00 | |||||||||||||
| Mariah May | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Mariah May | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Saraya | 8:30 | |||||||||||||
Men's
edit| Quarterfinals Dynamite (June 19 and 26, 2024) Forbidden Door (June 30, 2024) Dynamite: Beach Break (July 3, 2024) | Semifinals Dynamite: Beach Break (July 3, 2024) Collision (July 6, 2024) | Final Dynamite (July 10, 2024) | ||||||||||||
| Claudio Castagnoli | 11:05 | |||||||||||||
| Pac | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Pac | 16:45 | |||||||||||||
| Bryan Danielson | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Bryan Danielson | Sub | |||||||||||||
| Shingo Takagi | 20:00 | |||||||||||||
| Bryan Danielson | Pin | |||||||||||||
| "Hangman" Adam Page | 25:45 | |||||||||||||
| Rey Fenix | 9:20 | |||||||||||||
| Jay White | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Jay White | 15:40 | |||||||||||||
| "Hangman" Adam Page | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Jeff Jarrett | 11:15 | |||||||||||||
| "Hangman" Adam Page[a] | Pin | |||||||||||||
Notes
edit- ^ a b c Wild Card ("Joker") entrant not revealed until match time.
- ^ Hikaru Shida was originally scheduled to face Red Velvet, but was removed from the match after she returned to Japan. Statlander was announced as her replacement.
- ^ This was a no disqualification match.
References
edit- ^ a b Currier, Joseph (September 20, 2021). "AEW Partners With Owen Hart's Family to Celebrate His Legacy". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Currier, Joseph (December 17, 2021). "AEW to hold men's and women's Owen Hart Cup tournaments". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Guzzo, Gisberto (December 17, 2021). "AEW's Owen Hart Cup Tournaments To Begin In May, Finals To Be Held At Double Or Nothing". Fightful. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (December 27, 2021). "Tony Khan Explains Why Owen Hart Cup Will Conclude At AEW Double Or Nothing". Fightful. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Boone, Matt (April 26, 2023). "Tony Khan Makes Big Owen Hart Cup Announcements On Dynamite". PWMania. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ Thomas, Jeremy (June 21, 2023). "Brackets Revealed For Owen Hart Cup Tournament, Matches Set For Forbidden Door". 411Mania. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Powell, Jason (May 26, 2024). "AEW Double Or Nothing pre-show results: Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo, Max Caster, Anthony Bowens, and Billy Gunn vs. Brian Cage, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ Defelice, Robert (May 26, 2024). "Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournaments Announced, Winners To Receive World Title Shots At AEW All In". Fightful. Retrieved May 26, 2024.