Mercedes Moné's Failed WWE Negotiations, NJPW Future Revealed
Moné is on a multi-year deal with AEW.
Mercedes Moné is officially All Elite. The CEO made her highly-anticipated AEW debut this past Wednesday at AEW Dynamite: Big Business, a televised special built around Moné's expected arrival. Moné and AEW had been grouped together for nearly five years, as her repeated frustrations with WWE always sparked the rumor mill that she would defect to AEW if the opportunity presented itself. That opportunity was on the table beginning in late 2022, as the former Sasha Banks had walked out of WWE that May and was quietly granted her release in the months that followed. While she initially took her talents to New Japan Pro Wrestling for a series of limited dates, Moné's first full-time contract since departing WWE comes with AEW.
How Close Was Mercedes Moné to Rejoining WWE?
WWE did entertain bringing The Boss back into the fold.
As reported by Fightful Select, Mercedes Moné negotiated with WWE in early December after talks with AEW had stalled. Moné's conversations with WWE did not get far, as she would resume discussions with AEW later that month, reaching an "effectively agreed upon" deal with her new employer shortly after. Despite not being able to do business with one another, WWE referred to its conversations with Moné as "friendly" and "wished her luck" with her future.
Details on Mercedes Moné's NJPW Future
Mercedes Moné's unfinished business in the Far East is expected to be revisited.
Fightful's report adds that New Japan Pro Wrestling is under the expectation that it will be "factored into this deal" with the understanding that "AEW would be Moné's priority." The hope within NJPW is that Moné could "pick up where [she] left off" in 2023, which would mean sending her after the NJPW STRONG Women's Championship. Moné was scheduled to win that title last year but her ankle injury forced NJPW to pivot plans mid-match.
NJPW had wanted to run the long-anticipated Moné vs. then-NJPW STRONG Women's Champion Giulia match at NJPW Battle in the Valley this past January, but Moné was not medically cleared to compete by that date. Giulia has since lost that championship and is expected to be WWE bound, which leaves doubt that Moné vs. Giulia will ever come to fruition.
There are currently no NJPW plans in place for Moné. Her history with AEW's Willow Nightingale, who she lost the inaugural NJPW STRONG Women's Title match to, was referenced upon her AEW debut and is currently being worked into her first AEW storyline.