Mercedes Moné Responds To WWE Counter-Programming: "I'm Always Going To Be Better" (AEW News)
"Eight Belts Mone" says fans should watch AEW for the best wrestling, not WWE.
AEW's Mercedes Mone says she's "always going to be better" than any other matches happening on WWE programming or PLEs. The reigning TBS Champ (who also holds a whole host of other titles) told TV Insider, "I don't care about them" when asked to respond to reports that WWE planned to counter-program All Elite content.
She also said, "I don't watch them".
Earlier, Mone had replied to a remark about competition being super heated between both major promotions by saying: "No it's not". She clearly wasn't in the mood to entertain chatter about WWE; either that or Mercedes was remaining in character for the interview. Some of her other comments throughout were decidedly heelish.
Drawing a line under the question, Mone added: "They can keep on doing whatever they want to do, but AEW is taking over. If you want to watch the best, good wrestling, watch AEW". That echos Tony Khan's "Where The Best Wrestle" catchphrase that acts like FTR and Cope have pushed on television.
This weekend, Mone defends her TBS Title vs. Alex Windsor, Persephone and Bozilla at the cross-promoted AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 pay-per-view. That comes hot on the heels of Mercedes failing to take AEW Women's Title from Toni Storm at All In Texas last month.
WWE Announced Wrestlepalooza PLE Opposite AEW All Out
Recently, WWE announced that their PLE partnership with ESPN would start earlier than planned. The sports giant was supposed to start airing WWE content in early-2026, but their first gig with the market leader will actually take place on 20 September instead. To go along with that announcement, WWE/TKO revealed that they'd be promoting Wrestlepalooza the same night.
AEW's All Out 2025 pay-per-view is also scheduled for 20 September, so there's little doubt that date was picked out specifically on the WWE side. Mercedes Mone wouldn't be drawn on saying too much about that during her chat with TV Insider - other than saying that All Elite content is better, of course.
It's believed that a final John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar bout will headline Wrestlepalooza, so Tony Khan and his troops better come armed with some big guns. That will be Lesnar's first WWE match in over 2 years since his controversial return back at SummerSlam, and it'll be his last against Cena before the reborn babyface retires at the end of the year.
Subsequent WWE PLEs like Crown Jewel in October and Survivor Series in November will also air on ESPN.