Ex-WWE Star Makes AEW Debut In Title Match

A former WWE star made their AEW debut as they stepped up to the mark to challenge Mercedes Mone on Title Tuesday.

Mercedes Mone has made it to 500 days as TBS Champion in AEW, putting her now just eight days behind Jade Cargill’s record-setting title reign.

Mone has held that gold since debuting in AEW at Double Or Nothing 2024, where she defeated Willow Nightingale for the title. Since then, The CEO has successfully defended her title against the likes of Skye Blue, Stephanie Vaquer, Hikaru Shida, Nyla Rose, Britt Baker, Mina Shirakawa, Bozilla, Persephone, and Alex Windsor, to name but a few.

At All Out, Mone held on to her title with a win over the inaugural AEW Women’s Champion Riho, but she left people guessing about who she’d be facing at Title Tuesday in AEW’s home of Daily’s Place.

Mone told the world that she’d be defending her title against someone from the state of Florida at that event, leaving the challenge open to any local talent who wanted to step up. Many fans instantly dreamed that she’d finally have to face long-time Bayley superfan Izzy Moreno, who Mone famously made cry ten years to the day of Title Tuesday.

Izzy is now a trained wrestler, which meant, in theory, the match could have taken place. But instead, it was a former WWE star stepping up to Mercedes Mone.

Ex-WWE Star Faces Mercedes Mone At AEW Title Tuesday

Lacey Lane – best known to WWE fans as Kayden Carter – answered the challenge and ultimately fell to defeat at the hands of Mone. Lane recently made her debut in Tony Khan’s other promotion, Ring of Honor, five months after her final match in WWE before her release.

During her time in WWE, Lane held both the NXT Women’s and WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with her partner, Katana Chance.