Mercedes Mone would be better suited for WWE right now

Mercedes Mone is the top free agent in professional wrestling and WWE offers the best women’s division in North America today. 

The close of 2023 is a few weeks away, but there’s still a lot of professional wrestling action and news to watch. One of those stories is exactly where Mercedes Mone will pop up. The performer formerly known as Sasha Banks is the hottest women’s wrestler in the industry and it looks like she’s gearing up for her return. But where will that return be? Many have long speculated that she’s heading to AEW, but other surprises have happened in recent days. A return to WWE shouldn’t be ignored and looking at the current landscape of things is the best decision.

First, let’s talk about some of the positive work that is going on in WWE that could be enticing to Mone. The women’s division is getting an increasing spotlight fixed on it, and not just a few names at the top. WWE Raw consistently features multiple women on the show, hitting the double-digits the last few weeks in a row. Under Shawn Michaels, WWE NXT has long been a strong platform for the women’s division, consistently featuring just as much, if not more time to the women’s division. And while SmackDown struggles with only one dedicated match to the women’s division, the only champion that’s there week-to-week is IYO Sky.  The story with Damage CTRL is the focal point of the Friday show.

There are several ways to see where Mone could fit in to the women’s division in WWE. The subpar booking that the women’s division faced back in 2022 played a big part in why she and Trinity walked out, both finding success outside the company. McMahon has since been pushed out of his creative position thanks to the Endeavor purchase, and there have been steady improvements under Triple H. While there is still work to be done, it’s hard to ignore that steps are heading in the right direction.

It’s that final point that raises questions about Mercedes Mone in AEW. All Elite Wrestling has an amazing women’s division. The group features names like Toni Storm, Julia Hart, Kris Statlander, Hikaru Shida, and you can’t forget about ATHENA. This roster should be featured as one of the best in women’s wrestling today. Yet, four years into the company’s run and Tony Khan still refuses to give women equal shine in the spotlight. As the excuses mount to why that isn’t happening, fans and performers alike continue to push for more opportunity. If the women’s booking is far below acceptable at this point, and Khan has access to many of the top performers in the industry, why would that situation be any different than the one that reportedly led to Mone leaving WWE?

Some voices believe that Mone would be the catalyst to cause change. But should she risk that by signing a full-time deal with the company? Instead, Khan should be showing the world that he’s making changes before she’s even signed. Putting in that effort would go a long way in not only encouraging Mone to sign, but other names that may be freeing up on the horizon. But that’s not happening and there must be concern as to whether that would be a turnoff to Mone.

Mercedes Mone is the most coveted free agent in professional wrestling today. If there’s going to be a bidding war for her services, WWE looks like the better land for her abilities. AEW must step things up if they are going to make a play for her in the near future.