Why AEW Held Off On Mercedes Moné's In-Ring Debut

Although Mercedes Moné signed with All Elite Wrestling in January 2024, she didn't make her first appearance on AEW TV until the special 'Big Business' edition of Dynamite in March. AEW then held off on Moné's in-ring debut until Double or Nothing on May 26 where Mercedes defeated Willow Nightingale for the TBS Championship. 

Moné addressed why AEW held off on her in-ring debut, especially since she indicated in a recent interview that she was cleared for an in-ring return in December 2023. 

"Me and Tony have been talking for a very long time. People don't even actually know when I got signed to AEW. The beginning of the year, we talked, signed a deal, made it happen. We were really talking about when was the perfect place and time for me to debut in the ring. We knew March 13th was going to be amazing and the Boston Garden. When Tony called me and said, 'I have the perfect place for you to debut. Boston, baby.' 'Tony, Tony, you are speaking my language. You are speaking the Mone.' Then he said, 'We are celebrating AEW's five-year anniversary here in Las Vegas for Double or Nothing. Can you wait?' I said, 'B*tch, I've been waiting for a whole year. Of course, I can wait. I'm patient.' This is the perfect place. The grandest place that I can make my in-ring debut. As you can see, Mone changes everything," Mercedes said in the post-Double or Nothing media scrum.

Fightful Select noted that AEW sources said if Moné was indeed cleared for an in-ring return in December 2023, that was a major surprise to them. They instead stated, "that it was pretty clear that Mercedes wasn't going to be wrestling until May, and that was due to the injury."

Regardless, Mercedes Moné is wrestling in AEW now and she has major plans within the promotion. 

H/T Fightful