Will Mercedes Mone turn around Tony Khan’s AEW Women’s Division booking?

Mercedes Mone is one of the biggest names in professional wrestling but would her involvement be enough to turn around Tony Khan’s booking? 

AEW All In featured several big moments, plenty for fans to talk about for years to come. But there was one that many didn’t expect and that is when the camera panned to none other than Mercedes Mone. Perhaps the biggest name in women’s wrestling was sitting in London, at AEW’s biggest success. Some media members are already speculating that her heading to AEW is imminent and fans are booking dream matches, but there’s a big question looming. Can Tony Khan effectively book a women’s division, even if Mercedes Mone is an available piece of the equation?

The AEW women’s division features some talented performers. Hikaru Shida, Jamie Hayter, Toni Storm, Athena, Willow Nightingale, Nyla Rose, Riho, Emi Sakura, Ruby Soho, Kris Statlander, Britt Baker – the list continues to go on and on. But even with a roster stacked with experienced performers who can deliver great matches and storylines, they are continuing to receive scraps when it comes to booking within the promotion. Does that situation change if Mercedes Mone signs on the dotted line?

There are two ideas on how the aftermath of Mone coming to AEW will play out.

First, Mone infuses a level of excitement into AEW that Khan must respond with the proper booking treatment. She’s a crossover star that the company does not have, and he responds in kind – giving the women multiple storylines to build a consistent pipeline of top names, featuring the women in 2 or 3 matches/segments per night, developing tiered angles that help carve out the main event scene versus the mid-card. Mone’s impact could have resounding effects on the division, leading to top matches against Baker, Statlander, Shida, and perhaps even Jade Cargill. As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.

Then there’s the other way this could go. What if Mone signs with AEW and nothing changes? If Khan finds a way to sign her to a deal and not book her as the top champion he is, simply because the women’s division continues to get the short end of the stick – that would be a monumental failure. The pieces are all there where Mone could be the to push everything over the top. But that does not happen without the time and creative intention at their back. Khan has yet to show that initiative, and dropping the ball with a star like Mercedes Mone would be the final straw to show that the booking within the company will never change.

The Summer of 2023 will be remembered as “The Summer of AEW.” The company has seen so many momentum-building moments that should push it through the rest of this year and well into 2024. Bringing in Mercedes Mone would be yet another check mark on the game board. But what if Tony Khan’s nonchalant treatment of the women’s division isn’t corrected? Then there will be no denying that he’s just not interested in giving this group the time and care they deserve.