Mercedes Mone Has Mixed Emotions On AEW Philosophy
Mercedes Mone has given her thoughts on AEW All Out.
Fresh off the back of another huge show at Wembley Stadium for All In, AEW landed in Chicago for All Out. Back in North America, the company again got fans talking with the most violent pay-per-view it’s ever produced.
During the show, Bryan Danielson was suffocated with a plastic bag by Jon Moxley, while Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page went to war with chairs, a cinder block, a staple gun, a hypodermic needle, pieces of burned wood, and more.
The level of violence has divided fans and industry observers. Writing in the latest edition of her Mone Mag, Mercedes Mone admitted she has “mixed emotions” about such violence being used in the ring.
All Out was extremely violent, and honestly, Daniel Bryan’s stuff was tough to watch. I have mixed emotions. When done right, that kind of stuff can tear a roof off like Daniel’s did. However, I wouldn’t want my brother Joshua to watch stuff like that, or kids, for that matter. Let’s face it, wrestling is multi-generational. When I do signings, I greet so many parents and their children.
Growing up, I didn’t have a father, so it especially warms my heart to meet families and hear how much their wrestling viewing experiences and memories mean to them. Then again, there is an audience that loves the extreme, and you want to cater to them, too.”
Mone went on to say that while fans are often quick to blame the promotion involved in this situation, the ideas usually come from the talent.
“When you see your favorite stars going to the extreme, you may want to blame the promotion. Honestly, though, it’s the talent who will usually make the calls in the ring. While I credit talents who go to the extreme in terms of violence inflicted upon themselves for their passion and courage, I also want talent to have longevity and to graduate from this world healthy and able to function.
Our bodies go through enough with all the bumps, not to mention the travel and schedule. Personally, I’m at a place careerwise where I’d like to avoid extreme matches – unless it’s a true big value add to the company.”
Mercedes Mone Picks Up Another Win
At AEW All Out, Mercedes Mone made another successful defence of her TBS Championship, this time against Hikaru Shida.
Mone won the title back at Double or Nothing with a win over Willow Nightingale. Since then, she’s seen off challenges from the likes of Nyla Rose, Britt Baker, Skye Blue, and more. The star also holds the NJPW STRONG Women’s Title after beating Stephanie Vaquer at Forbidden Door.
After her match with Mone at All In, Britt Baker missed All Out, but according to Tony Khan, she remains an important member of the AEW roster.