The finish of Mercedes Moné’s win over Marina Shafir at Saturday’s Full Gear in Phoenix, Arizona, didn’t go as planned.
According to Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Moné was supposed to win with her feet on the ropes, but they slipped off before the three count, and referee Aubrey Edwards had to make a fast count.
In the end, Moné locked in the Brutalizer on Shafir, but Shafir reversed it and trapped Moné in the same hold. Moné rolled into a pin and got her feet on the ropes while Edwards wasn’t looking, and she retained the AEW Women’s World Championship after just over 17 minutes.
Moné had to use the ropes to get the win even after she tapped out to Shafir twice in three days. During Wednesday’s Dynamite, Moné tapped out to Shafir’s Brutalizer in a mixed tag team match in which Shafir and Jon Moxley defeated Moné and Jay White. At Full Gear itself, Moné tapped out again, this time to the Mother’s Milk, but it was outside the ring and didn’t count.
Meltzer, who reviewed the show with Bryan Alvarez, said the finish was the only negative in the match. He praised Moné for her performance and pointed out how much Shafir has improved in the ring.
“So the actual finishing pin was not done well, but, man, everything else was.”
This was Moné’s third defense of the title since defeating Willow Nightingale to win it at All In on August 30 at Wembley Stadium in London.
