For months, some fans criticized the booking of Mercedes Moné, comparing her seemingly invincible run to the “Super Cena” era of WWE. However, Tony Khan insists that the frustration was a necessary part of the long-term plan.
Speaking on The Takedown podcast, the AEW President addressed Moné’s trajectory, which saw her collect multiple championships and go undefeated for a significant stretch before finally losing to Toni Storm at All In: Texas. Khan explained that establishing her dominance was crucial to making her eventual defeat feel monumental.
“Mercedes is tremendous to work with. I had been adamant about building Mercedes up and having Mercedes continue to win and win and win,” Khan said. “I felt like that was the perfect time for Mercedes to have her undefeated run end, was at All In Texas when it felt like she was going to win like she was inevitable. She never loses…and Timeless Toni Storm picked up that great win.”
Moné recently lost the TBS Championship to Willow Nightingale at New Year’s Smash, continuing a downward spiral for her character that began with the loss to Storm. Khan hinted that the rivalry between Moné and Storm is far from over.
“They have this incredible chemistry that has carried over. It continues to exist, and I would expect to see them again involved down the line because they’re two of our greatest stars… there’s so much meat on that bone.”
