The wrestling world was abuzz when Mercedes Mone made her surprise debut at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 in 2023, sparking intense speculation about her next move. Would she return to WWE, especially with Vince McMahon stepping back? Or would she join the growing ranks of AEW, a promotion with strong ties to NJPW? Ultimately, Mone chose AEW, but it seems her decision was cemented long before she set foot in Tony Khan’s empire.
In a candid revelation from her newsletter, “Mone Mag,” the reigning AEW TBS and NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion spilled the beans on her game-changing moment. She had initially planned to make her WWE comeback at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles. But a casual invitation from AEW’s head honcho Tony Khan to attend the first AEW All In event in 2023 flipped the script entirely.
“I had planned on returning to WWE for WrestleMania in LA. That was, of course, before Tony invited us to see the show. Mind you, there were no discussions of signing with AEW. Zero. Tony, Kev, and I had texted as friends, but it was just a casual invite. I wanted to go not out of curiosity, or to kick the tires, but honestly because I love wrestling. To this day, when I have the time, I still watch the Indy shows. I really continue to have that much passion for it,” Mone shared.
The clincher? Witnessing over 80,000 fans lose their minds at a wrestling event that wasn’t a WWE production. The sheer energy and the realization that another promotion could pull off such a monumental feat sealed her fate. AEW was where she needed to be, and the rest, as they say, is history.