How Hollywood Helped Bring Mercedes Moné To AEW
The arrival of Mercedes Mone in AEW is about more than just what she does in the wrestling ring.
At AEW Big Business in her hometown of Boston, Mercedes Mone made her highly anticipated AEW debut after signing with the company over two months earlier.
During her appearance on AEW Dynamite, Mone made it clear that she was there to help grow the women’s division in AEW while talking about her past as a leader in WWE’s Women’s Revolution (or Evolution) from the mid-2010s until the present day.
In a lengthy report on PWInsider, Mike Johnson reported that “the final factor in the decision-making as to where to go on Mone’s part was which destination would allow for stronger potential, not just for herself but for additional and future women in professional wrestling.”
It was added by Johnson that while Mercedes Mone did talk to WWE about going back there as Sasha Banks after leaving in May 2022, she had already been there for over a decade and the thought of something new in AEW intrigued her. Plus, Johnson noted that “while there’s tons of potential to do things with WWE, that doesn’t mean that potential has to be jumped on immediately when there’s so much additional she is pursuing outside the pro wrestling world.”
Mercedes Mone had a significant acting role as Koska Reeves in The Mandalorian and that has opened doors for her in the entertainment world, which means potential big roles in Hollywood in her future. That also includes merchandising opportunities for her as Koska.
The PWInsider report from Johnson cited a source saying that Mone’s appearance brought in over a million viewers for her Dynamite debut. In WWE, ratings often went up when she appeared on television, so perhaps that will continue in AEW as well. Mone being in AEW could also “build a direct relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery as well as potential access to their film and television franchises.” That’s because AEW shows air on TNT & TBS, which WBD owns.
AEW Will Likely Support Mercedes Mone’s Acting Endeavors
The report from Johnson also covered how All Elite Wrestling is likely going to support Mone’s projects outside of the ring more than WWE likely would have.
“There was also a belief that AEW would be far more open to Mone working on acting, especially if she needed to take a period of time off for the forthcoming Star Wars: Mandalorian & Grogu feature film or any other projects that could require her full attention.”
“The fact that AEW could provide support for Mone in a way that WWE likely could not at this juncture was a factor in her signing, as we are told that Mone has built a team around her to assist her in maintaining her physical, mental and emotional health – and that AEW provided all signs they would work in conjunction with that team.”
Beyond Mone’s acting pursuits, PWInsider.com is also told that over the last several years, by being outside the WWE bubble, she has had the chance to develop fashion and music projects that she wants to keep bringing to the forefront. Those interests grew exponentially while she was recovering from her leg injury over the last year. “
Mercedes Mone has been announced for the March 20th edition of Dynamite in Toronto. However, the company has yet to announce when Mone’s first AEW match will take place.