AEW: Serena Deeb must win the women’s Owen Hart Cup

All Elite Wrestling is putting on a tribute to one of the best wrestlers that we lost way too soon, Owen Hart. The Owen Hart Foundation Tournament should be an enjoyable romp that features top talent and some up-and-comers to keep an eye on. While the full bracket for both the men and women hasn’t been announced, there’s one name that jumps off the page as a favorite to win the women’s group. That person is Serena Deeb.

Deeb is an exceptionally talented standout in the AEW women’s division. Her recent heel turn continues to be the best work of her career, and some of the best that AEW has to offer. Her matches with Hikaru Shida (who is also in the tournament) were not only brutal, but a well-told story throughout the four matches they’ve had against each other. While that angle isn’t complete and will probably come to ahead at some point during the Owen Hart Cup, that shouldn’t be the end of Deeb’s run in the tournament.

There are interesting parallels between Deeb and both Owen and Bret Hart. Her ring gear has frequently touted the pink and black theme that the brothers used during their time in wrestling. Plus, she’s used aspects of their move set, such as the figure four around the ring post. Even beyond that, the intensity she exudes during her heel run emulates that which both brothers, especially Owen, displayed during his heel run in the WWE. It’s like Deeb is an extension of their legacy in professional wrestling today.

Within AEW lore, winning the Owen Hart Cup is the perfect path to elevate Deeb into the AEW title picture. Fans are excited about Thunder Rosa’s tenure as AEW Women’s World Champion, but the promotion stumbled a bit with the introduction of Nyla Rose as the first challenger. It’s expected that Rosa will dispatch her, and that gap needs to be filled with Deeb as the next woman up. A feud between Deeb and Rosa has the potential to be as excellent as the Adam Page versus Bryan Danielson feud that kicked off Page’s run as champion.

It’s time to see Serena Deeb elevated to the main event picture in the AEW women’s division. The path to getting her there is clear – entering and winning the Owen Hart Cup. It’s the perfect story to be told and builds to what would be a strong feud between her and Rosa in the latter portion of 2022.