Announcing Mercedes Mone is All Elite would be better for the build to Big Business

March 13 is a date that many have circled on the calendar. AEW is heading to Boston, Massachusetts where the expectation is that Mercedes Mone will make her promotional debut. One of the most important figures in wrestling making her first official appearance as a member of the AEW roster. If this is one of the worst kept secrets, perhaps Tony Khan should make a shift in strategy. Instead of keeping things a “secret,” the best move would be to simply announce her arrival and build it to the massive moment it's expected to be. 

AEW is in an interesting position. Excitement for the company is high, as its return to a sports-based presentation on professional wrestling is what many fans called on. The show feels a lot like it did back in 2019 when it was first getting off the ground. However, that excitement isn’t fully translating into metrics. Year-over-year ratings are down. Attendance at shows isn’t surging as some would want. WrestleNomics and other media members cover the product closely based on the data. 

So what would it hurt if Khan made it clear that on March 13, Mercedes Mone is going to become All Elite. Put her graphic out on social media. Have announcement videos on the weekly shows and on YouTube. Get the information out there that she’s coming and March 13 is the day that everyone wants to be in front of their television. Tickets sold fast for the event itself, so she’s clearly a needle mover. The better idea would be to capitalize on that moment in advance by making sure everyone knows for sure that she’s coming. 

This step could also help the women’s division. Imagine having Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo have to answer questions about Mone as they head for their big match at AEW Revolution. Or how about having ATHENA call her out at the end of a ROH episode. Even Britt Baker could take a moment to drop a video with some thoughts - all pointing to the fact that the biggest women’s performer in the industry is on her way. Professional wrestling is all about promotion. The better step would be to promote the big moment rather than lean on the idea that it’s a surprise - when media members long broke the news. 

There’s a rhyme and reason why some organizations do what they do in pro wrestling. Khan clearly likes the “surprise” element of the show. But many of those surprises are spoiled by those doing their job. With that in mind, the better bet would have been to announce the signing of Mercedes Mone and build to March 13. That step would help both the business and in-ring as the days inch closer.