During the AEW All In: Texas media call on July 8, AEW President Tony Khan directly addressed recent speculation about whether Mercedes Moné has creative control over her direction in the company.
“That’s definitely not true at all,” Khan stated. “I have wanted Mercedes Moné in AEW and she is a big star on the show. I really enjoy working with her backstage… I also think it’s ridiculous, the idea that people would think because she’s a strong wrestler on the show that she must be the one dictating that. That is the complete opposite of what happens here.”
Khan reiterated that he has the final say on all creative matters in AEW, a philosophy he has held since the company’s inception. He explained his approach to working with top talent like Moné.
“I have such a high opinion of Mercedes in particular,” he said. “They are two of the best wrestlers on the planet. They are two people I meet with every single week. At least once a week, but usually multiple times a week and hear out ideas they might have and they hear out ideas I have. For both of them, I’m very involved in the direction of their character personally… In the case of this match, it’s something I really wanted to have in AEW for a very long time.”
He concluded by reinforcing his position on creative control within the company. “The idea that anybody in AEW has a creative control card and that’s why anybody would get a push here because they dictate it: that’s not how it works… When you have somebody of that stature, you would want to feature them and push them strongly.”