Tony Khan has spoken very highly about his newest signing Mercedes Mone.
March 13th was a big day for All Elite Wrestling as Mone officially debuted for the company, rounding out a trilogy of major names joining the promotion along with Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada. While Ospreay and Okada have name recognition among fans of NJPW, Mone’s stardom stretches much wider due to her previous work in WWE and her ventures outside of wrestling.
A mainstream star and very popular with wrestling fans, The CEO debuted in a big way by having a show built around her and in her hometown of Boston, similar to how CM Punk debuted in Chicago. According to Khan, Mone is a star who will bring numerous benefits to his promotion.
Appearing on NBC Boston alongside Mone, Khan declared that Mone would be a major boost to their audience numbers while also being a top star in the women’s division and the company as a whole:
“Mercedes is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world. She is going to help bring in new audiences from all over the world. Not only is she going to come in as one of the faces of AEW, one of the top stars, but she’s also one of the best wrestlers, one of the most charismatic people, somebody who loves wrestling. Mercedes is not only someone who loves the wrestling business, loves getting in the ring and wrestling, but loves the fans. That’s what we’re all about in AEW and that’s why Mercedes is perfect to be the face of AEW,”
Although the head of the promotion is delighted with his recent acquisitions, Tony Khan is reportedly still mad at an AEW original.
Mercedes Mone Chooses AEW Over WWE Return
While The CEO’s debut at Big Business was one of the worst-kept secrets in terms of surprise debuts for the promotion, there was at one point speculation that Mone may return to WWE before her All Elite Status was confirmed in a report by Fightful Select. Following the debut, a follow-up report revealed what made Mercedes Mone choose AEW over WWE.
H/t to Fightful.