AEW star and pro wrestling veteran Mercedes Moné recently discussed her 16-year career in pro wrestling on the latest edition of Mone Mag.
Moné said, “Mercedes KV. Sasha Banks. Mercedes Moné. Three names. Three eras. One dream. This month marks 16 YEARS since I started my professional wrestling journey. SIXTEEN!!! Sometimes I really have to stop and let that sink in. When I first stepped into a wrestling ring as Mercedes KV, I had a dream. I didn’t know exactly where that dream would take me.”
On wanting to kick the door open for women’s wrestlers and how she started betting on herself:
“There were so many moments when we were told what women couldn’t do. Couldn’t main event. Couldn’t carry certain matches. Couldn’t draw. Couldn’t have the same opportunities. Couldn’t make history. So every time another door opened, I wanted to kick that thing wide open for the women coming behind us. The CEO. This era has been about something completely different. Freedom. Betting on myself. Trusting myself. Taking everything I’ve learned throughout my career and asking: How much bigger can this dream become? I wanted to go global. So I did. Japan. Mexico. AEW. Championships around the world. New opponents. New styles. New challenges. New history.”
On getting injured in her first match against Willow Nightingale:
“For a long time, I carried feelings about what happened to me in that match. It’s taken a lot of therapy for me to stop putting the blame on her. Eventually, though, I started asking myself a different question. Maybe God wasn’t telling me to stop wrestling. Maybe God was telling me to slow down.”
On how their All In title match feels different:
“Funny how life works, isn’t it? Because somehow, after everything. Here we are again. I’ve been to every AEW ALL IN except the very first one in Chicago. I understood even then that something special was happening in professional wrestling. This one feels different. Because I feel different. There is a fire inside of me right now that I haven’t felt in a very long time.”
On having unfinished business with Nightingale:
“Willow and I have unfinished business. And after three years of our careers somehow finding their way back to each other.”
Moné, the winner of the 2026 women’s Owen Hart Cup tournament, will challenge Willow Nightingale for the AEW Women’s World Title at All In: London on Sunday, August 30th, 2026, at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
