“Always gonna be weird competition,” Mercedes Mone gives a fitting response to claims of AEW closing down the gap with WWE’s popularity

Mercedes Mone puts emphasis on the importance of AEW building its own empire instead of relentlessly chasing WWE.

“Always gonna be weird competition,” Mercedes Mone gives a fitting response to claims of AEW closing down the gap with WWE’s popularity

Mercedes Mone (via- AEW)

There’s always a zeal among wrestling fanatics butting heads over how long it’d take for AEW to be on par with WWE. However, for someone like Mercedes Mone, it’s too much of a gap to be closed, especially with how long WWE’s been around. Speaking to the Breakfast Club, the 32-year-old said it’s always going to be a weird competition between the two companies.

Citing AEW has just completed five years of its existence, while WWE is a global juggernaut, it’s unfair to compare where both are at in terms of popularity. Mone stressed that AEW needs to build its own brand rather than emulating how WWE operates. She affirmed that All Elite Wrestling has the best of wrestlers signed, and one could see that unfold every week.

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Mone, who was one of WWE’s top assets, had a major fallout with the company in mid-2022. She walked out, bet on herself, and finally debuted in Tony Khan‘s promotion earlier this year in March. It didn’t take long for The CEO to taste success in her new home. At Double or Nothing, she defeated longtime rival Willow Nightingale to become the brand-new AEW TBS Champion. 

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I feel like it’s always gonna be a weird competition, but AEW’s only been around for five years. WWE has been around for 30-plus. I don’t know what kind of gap you can close with that……..

Mercedes Mone via the Breakfast Club podcast

Last month at All In, Mercedes successfully defended her title in an underwhelming match with Britt Baker. During the post-show press conference, she even lashed out at a press member who asked about her divorce. The erstwhile Sasha Banks appeared to be in no mood to touch on that aspect of her personal life.

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She proceeded on to mock the interviewer, saying she’s not going to date him. Two weeks ago, the Mandalorian actress overcame Hikaru Shida in a grueling battle at the All Out pay-per-view event.

What Mercedes Mone now thinks of a WWE return?

Every time Mercedes Mone does an interview, she gets asked about potentially returning to WWE one day. In most of her previous ones, she didn’t outright deny it, except now. In the same conversation with the Breakfast Club as above, The Boss shot down the idea of making it back to her former workplace.

Mercedes Mone Sasha Banks Raw
Sasha Banks (now Mercedes Mone) on Raw (via WWE)

She said that AEW is the best place she’s ever been to. Moreover, the leeway that Mone’s getting there is not to be discounted at all. Mercedes further said she’s finally able to have new dreams after being in this industry for 14 years.

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It’s worth mentioning that before arriving in AEW, Mone was actively negotiating with WWE. However, due to financial differences, the talks fell through. Meanwhile in AEW, she’s reportedly landed the highest-paying women’s contract in wrestling history.