Mercedes Mone is All Elite, now the ball is in Tony Khan's hands

Well, it happened. Mercedes Mone is All Elite. She opened the AEW Big Business on March 13 and laid down the charge that the revolution will be “global.” That’s quite the statement, especially in All Elite Wrestling. The ball is now in Tony Khan’s court to give the women’s division the presentation, time, and opportunities that were available to the men’s division.

Mone stood in the middle of the ring on Wednesday smiling from ear to ear while fans chanted “CEO.” After nearly a year of speculation, rumors, exclusive reports, outright lies and more, one of the most important personalities in professional wrestling is now on the roster. Seeing her get this presentation was already a big moment. This hadn’t happened since CM Punk’s initial return at Last Dance years ago. That is already a step in the right direction for this women’s division that has long deserved the presentation that matches being one of the main reasons why fans watch AEW.

AEW has already taken steps to shine the spotlight on this division. After years of seeing only one match per show, outside of Rampage, major weekly shows like Dynamite and Collision are seeing an increase in time dedicated to the women. More video segments are also going to the women during those shows. But there’s still room for improvement.

The women’s division has set to get an opportunity to showcase their talents in a ladder match. After hinting at it during the Homegrown versus Outcasts angle, the ladies have yet to step inside the enclosure for a Blood & Guts match. The women have yet to main event a PPV, and frequently only have one or two matches on a card that can showcase anywhere from 10 to 12 bouts. Khan was also non-committal about the women getting a moment to shine in the AEW Continental Classic, one of the best parts of AEW’s 2023 campaign.

All those doors must now be opened as there’s a woman who is a major star in the company. Khan can’t question Mone’s ability to draw money as he’s done some other women in the past. He can’t suddenly take her off the television like many other players who have just disappeared for months. Her fans would not allow that to happen. Mone’s track record includes selling out cards for NJPW with just one match announced. She (and Bayley) set records for television ratings. They also carried much of WWE’s programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mone’s critics will try to tell you otherwise, but the proof has been laid out.

Professional wrestling in 2024 has been exciting. The free agency race has proven to be a big deal, with AEW picking up most of the pieces that were scheduled to be on the board. Mercedes Mone is now All Elite and eyes are on Tony Khan to see if he holds up his end of the deal.