Mercedes Moné only just defeated an impressive Marina Shafir to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship at Full Gear on Saturday.
The match followed weeks of tension between the two, with Shafir earning the title shot after confronting Moné on Dynamite last month.
Shafir used her grappling and judo background to control much of the early action, while Moné focused her offense on the challenger’s arm.
The champion repeatedly went for the Statement Maker, but Shafir found counters and eventually caught Moné in the Brutalizer for a major near fall.
Shafir came even closer on the floor. She caught a diving Moné and locked in Mother’s Milk, prompting the champion to tap out. The submission did not count because both women were outside the ring.
Back inside, Moné regained control with a Backstabber into the Statement Maker. Shafir escaped by rolling the champion into a pinning combination.
The pair continued trading submissions in the closing stretch. Moné briefly applied a Brutalizer of her own before Shafir reversed and trapped the champion in the hold.
Moné escaped by rolling Shafir onto her shoulders and used the ropes for additional leverage as referee Aubrey Edwards counted the pin.
Edwards did not see Moné’s use of the ropes, allowing the champion to retain.
The victory continues Moné’s AEW Women’s World Championship reign after she most recently defended the title against Thekla at WrestleDream.
