Why Tony Khan Favoring Mercedes Moné Is A Curse
Mercedes Moné is on an undeniable tear in AEW.
The self-proclaimed CEO currently holds five titles across different promotions, including the AEW TBS Championship, the CMLL World Women’s Championship, the EWA Women’s Championship, and the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship.
But not everyone is thrilled with how AEW is spotlighting erstwhile Sasha Banks, especially Vince Russo, who believes that Tony Khan’s favouritism toward her could do more harm than good behind the scenes.
Russo Believes Tony Khan’s Favoritism Toward Mercedes Moné Could Backfire Badly
Speaking on Behind The Turnbuckle Studios, Vince Russo didn’t mince words when addressing what he sees as an imbalance in AEW women’s division. Russo pointed out that Khan’s excitement over Mercedes Moné is easy to spot and that kind of open admiration can breed tension backstage.
“You’ve got to be so careful when you’re in the position of writing the show. You can’t play favorites. You can’t play a manager of a baseball team, a coach of a basketball team at that level. Nobody’s playing favorites. It’s an even playing field.”
“You can tell. I mean, you could tell the way he talks about her, the way he, you know, glows when he brings up her name. It’s no surprise, she is a favorite of Tony Khan. And that’s a curse.”
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) June 23, 2025
He continued, emphasizing that when one star gets special treatment, it creates cracks in the locker room dynamic.
“At that point, it’s not an even playing field. And at that point, the other women in the locker room are going to know she’s a favorite, and she’s getting special treatment. And that’s how problems start in your locker room, coach.” [From 9:40 to 10:28]
Mercedes Moné is headed toward another high-stakes showdown at AEW All In: Texas, where she’s scheduled to challenge Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship on July 14, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.