Mercedes Mone returned to AEW after five months away as the Wild Card entrant in the Women's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament — and some people immediately said AEW had already damaged her comeback.

My take is no. The setup is stronger than most people are giving it credit for. This video breaks down what actually happened on her return, why the tournament path is the right vehicle, what a genuinely ruined return looks like compared to this, and why winning the Owen Hart Cup earns her way back into the AEW Women's World Championship picture properly.

Hot take. Drop yours in the comments.