Mercedes Mone’s big moment at Forbidden Door was stolen by this returning former AEW Champ
At Forbidden Door, Mercedes Mone had everything to gain and everything to lose in her match against CMLL’s Stephanie Vaquer.
Sure, the “CEO” is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world and has proven herself as advertised in AEW, maintaining a perfect record since debuting for the company at Double or Nothing last month in Las Vegas, but no one stays at the top forever, and Vaquer is one of the most decorated performers in the world today. After seeing her inaugural run with the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship come to an end before it could even begin via an injury versus Willow Nightingale at Resurgence, taking her out of action for a year and nearly ending her in-ring career on the spot.
While Mone has settled the score with Nightingale, defeating her in Las Vegas in one of the greatest matches on the DON show, the path to the purple and gold title didn’t get any easier when it comes to Vaquer, as she is widely considered one of the best female workers in the world on par with the “CEO.”
Taking the ring at the end of the 10 o’clock hour EST, Mone and Vaquer put on a masterclass with everything on the line, showing why they are so highly regarded in a match that might have just been the hardest-hitting bout on the card. Mone worked ahead early, fell behind when Vaquer pushed her own temp, and ultimately looked like a goner when the female Ace of CMLL started to bring out her signature submission game, banging the “CEO’s” face into the mat with a spot that needs to be seen to be believed.
When you are hungover and you have a pounding headache.pic.twitter.com/IvhRbwoDpE
— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) July 1, 2024
Still, Mone didn’t just return to wrestling for the paycheck, and in only her second AEW Pay-Per-View, she was able to ice out Vaquer with the combination Mone Maker-Crossface for the 1-2-3.
Holding the belt that nearly cost her everything, Mone celebrated becoming a double champion in AEW, but only for a moment, as her big coronation was ultimately interrupted by Britt Baker, who made her highly anticipated return to the promotion for the first time since last fall.
Is Mone-Baker the play for All In, AEW’s next PPV of the summer? Only time will tell, but it’s safe to say this felt like a big moment for a performer who is used to being a star, and AEW would be wise to keep that up heading into July and eventually August.
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. is BACK!
Order #ForbiddenDoor on PPV right now!
https://t.co/MpmTCyHt8n https://t.co/0Pr7ogLjEw https://t.co/JlBXZPLNGj@MercedesVarnado | @RealBrittBaker pic.twitter.com/YqPwUw6afT
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 1, 2024
Mercedes Mone reveals why she decided to sign with AEW.
Heading into Forbidden Door, Mercedes Mone stopped by BT and Sal on WFAN to talk about her big match on Long Island and her entire run in AEW past, present, and future.
Asked specifically about her free agency period, Mone noted that she enjoyed being the belle of the ball but ultimately signed with Tony Khan because he offered her a vision she seriously connected with.
“In a sense, I enjoyed it, because I was like, ‘I can’t believe how many companies want me so bad and how many lucrative deals were put on the table. Which one do I choose? Which one do I want? It was also scary at the same time because WWE is WWE. I was like, ‘Do I go back?’ My heart was saying, ‘Don’t go back, go forward.’ I kept hearing that in my head. ‘Keep going forward.’ They keep offering me things, and they keep asking me to come back. ‘Mercedes, go forward.’ New Japan came about. CMLL. AEW,” Mercedes Mone revealed via Fightful.
“Just having the conversation with Tony (Khan). It took about two years of having conversations. ‘Will this work? Is this what I want? Is this what my heart wants?’ Finally, I went to All In at Wembley. Being in the crowd and seeing how 80,000 fans, it wasn’t WrestleMania, it was AEW All In. I was like, ‘This is where I want to be. I want to be here, and this company feels aligned with my soul.’ We kept talking, and I got the most amazing contract in wrestling history.”
Did watching AEW in person at All In influence Mone’s decision? Well, BT and Sal asked Mone that question too, and let it be known that it really did, as the moment was second to none.
“I can watch it on TV all day, every week, but I had to be there in person and get a sense of the talent, the audience, and a sense of how they all operated,” Mone explained. “Out there, I was like, ‘this is so amazing.’ To have 80,000 fans in UK, it let me know wrestling is so special and there doesn’t have to be one place for wrestling.”
Would it have ruined AEW if Mone ended up signing elsewhere? No, not really, but frankly, despite some initial complaints from the podcasting class of professional wrestling OGs, Mone has earned her pay in the promotion, as she truly has proven to be one of the top talents in the world in the ring and a compelling surrogate for AEW outside of the IWC bubble.
The post Mercedes Mone’s big moment at Forbidden Door was stolen by this returning former AEW Champ appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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