AEW has officially revealed the 2026 Men’s and Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament brackets, and this year’s field comes with more than just tournament pride attached to it. The winners are not only getting the trophy, the Owen Hart title belt and the prestige that comes with winning “The Owen.” They are also getting world title shots at All In in August, which turns this year’s tournament into one of AEW’s most important roads to the biggest show of the summer. The tournament begins at Double or Nothing, while the finals are set for Forbidden Door on June 28, making this year’s Owen feel even more connected to AEW’s larger international identity.
2026 Owen Hart Tournament first-round matches:
Men’s Tournament
- Samoa Joe vs. Will Ospreay
- Mark Davis vs. Jungle Jack Perry
- Swerve Strickland vs. Bandido
- Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brody King
Women’s Tournament
- Persephone vs. Hazuki
- Willow Nightingale vs. Alex Windsor
- Mina Shirakawa vs. Athena
- Skye Blue vs. Sareee
That is a strong field on paper, but the real story is how much is happening underneath the bracket. Swerve Strickland’s return to the picture comes with questions. Will Ospreay and Mark Davis bring United Empire history into the men’s side. The women’s bracket has international flavor with Hazuki and Sareee, a champion vs. champion match with Willow Nightingale and Alex Windsor, and Athena stepping back into the AEW spotlight after spending most of her dominant run in ROH.
The history of the Owen Hart Tournament and whether the winners cashed in
AEW launched the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament in 2022 as a tribute to Owen Hart’s legacy, with separate men’s and women’s tournaments. At first, the tournament was mostly about the honor, the trophy and the Owen Hart championship belt. Over time, AEW raised the stakes. In recent years, winning the tournament has meant earning a world title match at All In, which has made the Owen feel less like a side attraction and more like a major summer storyline.
Here is the quick history:
- 2022: Adam Cole and Britt Baker won. No world title shot was attached.
- 2023: Ricky Starks and Willow Nightingale won. No All In world title shot was attached.
- 2024: Bryan Danielson and Mariah May won. Danielson beat Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship at All In London, and Mariah May beat Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship.
- 2025: Hangman Page and Mercedes Moné won. Hangman won his world title match at All In: Texas, while Mercedes did not.
That history matters because the tournament has now become one of AEW’s cleanest ways to create a world title challenger without forcing someone into a rushed feud. When the Owen is booked right, it gives the winner momentum, direction and a real reason to be in the All In main-event conversation.
Swerve vs. Bandido is the match with the strangest timing
Swerve Strickland vs. Bandido being announced as a first-round match at Double or Nothing immediately stands out because AEW had already been teasing tension between them, but Swerve has not been a regular presence on television lately. That absence became part of the conversation when Swerve posted and deleted a tweet asking why he was not on AEW TV. WhatCulture reported the deleted post as: “Time to start asking questions why Swerve ain’t on TV.”
That instantly made fans wonder whether this was a real frustration slipping out or AEW turning his absence into an angle. Cageside Seats later noted that Swerve’s absence is now being framed around a storyline conflict with AEW management, with Swerve claiming AEW is deliberately keeping him off TV and even naming Bandido as someone he could damage if unleashed.
That is where AEW has to be careful. If it is a work, it gives Swerve’s return a sharper edge. If it started as a shoot and got folded into TV, that is a different conversation. Either way, Swerve should not feel like someone AEW has to remember to use. He is a former AEW World Champion and one of the most complete main-event acts in the company. Bandido is a great first-round opponent, but the match needs to be more than just another great match. AEW needs to use this tournament to either reheat Swerve or clearly define what his next chapter is supposed to be.
Will Ospreay, Mark Davis and the United Empire shadow
The men’s bracket also has a built-in United Empire thread. Will Ospreay opens against Samoa Joe, while Mark Davis faces Jungle Jack Perry in the first round. That matters because if Ospreay and Davis both advance, AEW can get to a former United Empire collision with real history behind it.
Davis is not just some random name in the field either. He is the current AEW National Champion, and putting him in the Owen gives that title more visibility while also giving Davis a chance to prove he belongs in bigger singles conversations. His first-round match with Jungle Jack Perry also comes with history, as reports noted that Davis recently beat Perry to win the AEW National Championship.
That makes Davis vs. Jungle Jack Perry III more than bracket filler. It gives AEW a chance to continue an existing issue while also setting up the possibility of Ospreay and Davis crossing paths later. If AEW gets there, that match should not be treated like a random semifinal. It should lean into the United Empire history, the split paths both men have taken, and what it would mean for Davis to stand across from Ospreay in AEW.
Who are Hazuki and Sareee?
Hazuki is a Japanese wrestler best known for her work in Stardom. She brings speed, aggression and a sharper joshi style to the women’s bracket, which makes her first-round match with Persephone feel like one of the more unpredictable matchups on the women’s side.
Sareee is another important international name. Some American fans may remember her from WWE NXT as Sarray, but her reputation in Japan is much bigger than how WWE presented her. Sareee has worked across major Japanese promotions and has the credibility to make this tournament feel bigger than AEW’s usual weekly TV rotation.
That is why both names make sense this year. With the finals taking place at Forbidden Door, the bracket should feel international. Hazuki and Sareee help accomplish that.
Willow Nightingale vs. Alex Windsor is champion vs. champion energy
One of the strongest first-round women’s matches is TBS Champion Willow Nightingale vs. NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Alex Windsor, who is also one half of The Brawling Birds. That is not just a random pairing. That is two champions colliding immediately, which gives the women’s bracket real stakes from the start.
Willow already has Owen Hart history after winning the women’s tournament in 2023. She is one of AEW’s most naturally beloved babyfaces, and every time she is in a tournament setting, she feels like someone who can make a deep run. Windsor brings a different energy. She is tougher, rougher, more international and less familiar to the full AEW audience, which makes this a useful showcase either way. A Willow win keeps a proven AEW name moving. A Windsor win instantly establishes her as more than just a guest champion passing through.
Athena being back is great — but it also exposes the ROH problem
Athena being in the Owen Hart Tournament is one of the biggest stories in the women’s bracket because fans have been asking for her to be back in the AEW mix for a long time. She has been outstanding as ROH Women’s World Champion, but that is also the problem. She has been so good in ROH that AEW has almost used that as a reason to keep her away from Dynamite and Collision instead of making her a full-time force on AEW television.
Athena won the ROH Women’s World Championship at Final Battle 2022 and has held the title ever since. She passed 1,000 days as champion in 2025 and became the longest-reigning champion in ROH history.
That is why fans keep saying they want Athena out of the “ROH Abyss.” It is not a knock on Athena’s work. It is the opposite. She has carried that title, that division and that brand for years. But if someone is that good, she should not feel hidden from the larger AEW audience.
Her first-round match against Mina Shirakawa is smart because Mina has charisma, presence and enough international credibility to make the match feel fresh. But Athena should not feel like a random ROH cameo. She should feel like a major AEW-level threat returning with purpose. If this tournament is the bridge to finally getting Athena back on Dynamite and Collision more consistently, then the women’s bracket already has real value.
Final thoughts
The 2026 Owen Hart Tournament has a lot going for it. The title-shot stipulation gives it real stakes. The Forbidden Door final gives it a bigger international identity. The men’s bracket has star power with Swerve, Ospreay, Joe, Claudio, Brody and Bandido. The women’s bracket has champions, international names, fresh matchups and Athena finally stepping back into a bigger AEW spotlight.
The concern is follow-through. AEW can announce strong brackets all day, but the tournament only matters if the stories around it matter. Swerve vs. Bandido needs to be more than a great match. Athena’s return needs to be more than a one-off from ROH. Willow vs. Windsor needs to feel like two champions colliding. Ospreay and Davis need the United Empire history acknowledged if AEW gets there.
On paper, this is a strong Owen field. Now AEW has to make it feel like the road to All In, not just another collection of matches.
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