Mercedes Mone joining AEW was supposed to be a game-changing moment for the company regarding its women’s division due to the star power she commands. Bringing someone to the company with her history could have sky-rocketed the division to new heights, which is something AEW desperately needed.
AEW has featured plenty of amazing wrestling stars in 2024, but who tops the list?
However, despite Mone’s in-ring talent, charisma, and ability on the microphone, she’s been unable to make much difference. Just like other big signings to the division that were hyped up, such as Saraya, Mone brought a little buzz, and then things have slowly gone back to business as usual. It’s been an unfortunate situation, but it highlights a bigger problem in AEW overall.
Mercedes Mone Hasn’t Been Given The Chance To Thrive
AEW Fans Want To Be Given A Detailed Angle To Dive Into
During her time in WWE, Mone was regularly given big opportunities to shine in detailed storylines that would feature lengthy matches where she could tell stories and wow fans. Her feuds against the likes of Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Bianca Belair will go down in the history books because of how entertaining they were.
That’s something that she’s yet to truly be afforded in AEW. She’s had several feuds but nothing substantial that audiences are going to remember or that have helped elevate the women’s division generally. It’s a missed opportunity on Tony Khan’s behalf because Mone thrives most when working with a company’s biggest stars in big storylines.
Another problem is that her in-ring matches haven’t been to the same standard as before. Considering how good she is as a wrestler, something has just been missing from Mone’s perspective which has diminished her own star power slightly. Some of her matches have ended up being clunky, with her awkward new finisher being an example of that, as it rarely ends up looking good. This could be a factor in the overall issue as it hasn’t taken the division to new levels of popularity like people assumed it would.
Mercedes Mone’s Storyline Against Britt Baker Was A Flop
Their All In Match Wasn’t Well Received
Mone’s arrival in AEW was a big deal, but the company started things out with her feuding against Willow Nightingale. That was the first mistake because, because as talented as Nightingale is, she isn’t the biggest name in the women’s division. That honor belongs to Britt Baker, who has been pushed heavily throughout her time in the company.
AEW set that one aside for All In, which is one of the company’s biggest events of the year. Putting Mercedes Mone and Britt Baker together on such a big show should’ve led to an iconic match that could’ve taken the women’s division to the next level. They were given a prominent spot on the card but struggled to make things work inside the ring.
AEW put on an amazing show at Wembley Stadium with All In. What was the match of the night?
It ended up being an awkward encounter that didn’t kick on. They had a major opportunity to showcase what the women’s division was capable of, which might’ve opened up further chances for others. Unfortunately, this match falling short likely had a big impact on the roster not getting further chances.
The AEW Women’s Division Hasn’t Changed In The Slightest
Mercedes Mone Could Have Been The Face Of Change
One of the biggest complaints about AEW from the jump has been the booking of its women’s division. Not enough effort has been placed into it, with short and predictable matches, storylines only revolving around the title, and an overall lack of care and attention.
Khan has done an excellent job putting together an impressive roster that is varied in terms of talent, experience, and character. However, the division isn’t given the focus it deserves, which means it’s not seen in the same light as it should be in terms of star power.
In WWE, the likes of Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan are among the biggest stars in the entire company, and that’s down to booking and effort. Mone was in the same place during her WWE run when she was one of the top names in the industry and even got to headline WWE WrestleMania.
Mercedes Mone’s run in AEW already feels underwhelming. Is it because of comments she made about returning to WWE one day?
Khan doesn’t give the women’s roster the same level of detail, which has stopped any potential progress. Mone’s arrival in AEW could’ve been the catalyst for change for the women’s roster to get more attention, and to push on using Mone as the face. Fans speculated about the impact it could have in the war between AEW and WWE, but the sad reality is it has made little impact, especially when it comes to AEW’s women’s division.