4 Directions for Mercedes Mone after major setback in AEW

Mercedes Mone had been riding the wave of success as a top AEW star since her debut in 2024. However, the middle of 2025 started to mark her downfall, as her winning streak came to an end and The CEO began to lose significant in-ring showdowns. Moreover, the biggest setback Mone suffered was at the end of the year.

At the Dynamite: New Year's Smash episode, Mone squared off against her long-time rival, Willow Nightingale, with her TBS title on the line. The highly captivating match came to its conclusion with Nightingale dethroning Mone and ending her record-setting reign to become the first-ever two-time TBS Champion in All Elite Wrestling.

With her impressive reign as champion over, here are four directions for Mercedes Mone in AEW moving forward.

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#4. Win more championships outside AEW

Mercedes Mone rose to become a global sensation by winning multiple Women's championships outside All Elite Wrestling, beginning in 2024. Moreover, she broke Ultimo Dragon's record of holding 10 titles simultaneously in 2025, further boosting her confidence as a top wrestling star. However, her title collection shrank as she lost a few titles towards the end of the year. So, Mone could have her resurgence by travelling to other parts of the world and collecting more belts to regain her momentum.

#3. Align with a younger AEW star

With Mercedes Mone's record-setting title reign over, it could be time for AEW to utilise her veteran status to build the next crop of talent in the women's division. This could see The CEO align with a young and rising talent of All Elite Wrestling, like Megan Bayne, Marina Shafir, or Thekla, as a mentor and elevate their status as an emerging attraction for women. Moreover, this could be Mone's way of giving back to the wrestling business that has brought her immense fame and success.

#2. AEW Women's World Championship

In 2025, Mercedes Mone competed for the AEW Women's World Championship in two monumental matches. The first bout saw Mone lose to Timeless Toni Storm at All In Texas, which also marked her first singles defeat in All Elite Wrestling. In the second match, she lost to Kris Statlander at Full Gear. Moreover, there was also a debate among fans that Ultimo Mone could not win the big one, referring to the Women's World title. However, 2026 could be the time that Mercedes Mone proves the doubters wrong and rises to the occasion to finally get her hands on the AEW Women's World title, which could help her make a massive impact after major setbacks.

#1. Return to AEW with Bayley in 2026

Following her TBS title loss, Mercedes Mone could possibly go on a hiatus from AEW. However, a shocking scenario could see her return, but not alone. She could bring her real-life best friend and current WWE star, Bayley, to the landscape of All Elite. There have been many discussions that The Role Model has been underutilised in WWE and should jump ship to Tony Khan's company to achieve similar global success to Mone's. So, there's a possibility that Bayley's AEW debut takes place with Ultimo Mone as the catalyst, sending shockwaves across the industry.

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Edited by N.S Walia