AEW's Mercedes Mone Vacates Her Last Remaining Championship, Promoter Responds

By Brie Coder
Mercedes Moné carries three of her multiple championships with the rest of them being held up by several hired male guards Ricky Havlik/All Elite Wrestling

It was a heck of a ride, but the Moné Train has 13 less passengers, as Mercedes Moné recently vacated the last credited championship in her name, the APAC Women's title, after an agreement couldn't be reached between herself and APAC Wrestling, despite exploring several options.

In her "Moné Mag" newsletter, the former champion published: "While I was in London, I had to make a tough call. I sent the Malaysia Championship back. My team and I really tried to make things work—we put in the effort, had the conversations, and explored every option. But at the end of the day, they told us they didn't have the budget to fly me out and weren't open to working with other promotions. And for me? That just didn't align with the vision. So I made the decision to vacate the title."

Even though things didn't work out for either party, the headlines of this tore the pro wrestling community in two. Some are pointing the finger at the founder of APAC, Ayez Shaukat, who responded on X [formerly known as Twitter] to the negative criticism being thrown their way.

While the decision to split ways was amicable, Moné added: "This business isn't always easy. Not every partnership works out the way you hope. But I've learned to stand firm in my worth, my time, and what I bring to the table. Every title I hold means something. Every move I make has purpose. So even though it wasn't easy, it was necessary. Because growth sometimes means letting go. And trust me... I'm always moving forward."

After leaving WWE for AEW, "The CEO" fulfilled her mission to surpass Ultimo Dragón by becoming a reigning and defending champion of 13 championships. "Ultimo Moné" had several treasure trove belts simultaneously in her collection, including the TBS Championship, the CMLL Women's Championship, the ROH Women's Television Championship, and the RevPro Undisputed Women's Championship among others. 

Moné last AEW appearance was at "AEW Dynamite: New Year's Smash," where she dropped her championship to the now two-time victor, Willow Nightingale. However, she remains the longest-ever TBS Champion in history at 584 days, surpassing Jade Cargill's former historic reign at 508 days. As of this writing, it's unknown when Moné will return to AEW programming. 

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Moné Mag" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Comments

Recommended