Mercedes Moné’s AEW Women’s World Championship reign has looked a bit different than planned since she won it and Tony Khan is now confirming exactly why.
Moné captured the title from Willow Nightingale at All In, but suffered a broken nose during the match. She’s continued appearing on television since, without getting physical in the ring.
Asked about her status during the AEW All Out media call, Khan confirmed the injury significantly altered the promotion’s plans, revealing that Moné had originally been scheduled to wrestle on the All Out card itself.
Yeah. A lot.
He framed it as a normal part of a physically demanding sport, saying injuries are simply something every promotion has to plan around by keeping a deep roster and staying flexible.
Absolutely. Mercedes Moné was originally scheduled to wrestle on AEW All Out, and that’s the nature of wrestling. It’s a hard-hitting sport. There are injuries and just like in all sports, you have to have a deep roster and be able to think on your feet and be flexible, and that’s what’s great about AEW… In Mercedes’ case, it’s not a long, long-term injury. It’s something where she’ll be back.
Khan expressed strong confidence that Moné’s absence won’t stretch on much longer, saying he’s almost certain she’ll be back next month, with October as the target for her actual return. He added that Moné herself has been eager to compete, but doctors haven’t yet cleared her.
I think she’ll be back next month and I’m almost certain she’ll be back next month. That’s the plan; is for Mercedes to return in October. That’s why we have this match on the pay-per-view to determine who will challenge for the World Title at our next pay-per-view, WrestleDream.
So Mercedes’ injury did affect plans. She was originally set to wrestle at AEW All Out and I think she very much wants to wrestle on Saturday, but the doctors have not cleared her.
That timeline lines up with how AEW has structured the current title picture. Willow Nightingale and Thekla are set to face off at All Out to determine Moné’s next challenger once she returns, with that showdown expected to headline WrestleDream.
