Mercedes Mone made her first official appearance as an AEW roster member on March 13th, 2024, in the “Big Business” edition of AEW Dynamite. Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com shared some insights into Mercedes’ decision to sign an AEW contract.
* Both WWE and AEW were reportedly willing to sign contracts totaling eight figures over the course of the deals. Mercedes is believed to be the highest-paid female wrestler in history thanks to her AEW contract.
* Mercedes and AEW were said to have been in talks for about 18 months before she signed a contract with them. While talks with WWE took place later, it is believed that executives there were eager to have her back “in the family.”
* It was noted that the final decision was based on where Mercedes had the most potential, not only for herself but also for the future of women’s wrestling. Johnson went on to say that “we are told by sources that a major part of the decision to go with AEW was that Mone believed that while going back to WWE could have been beneficial, it would have been a return to where she had already been.” It was also stated that AEW will allow Mercedes more freedom and time to work on projects outside of wrestling, such as acting.
