After officially securing the TBS Title at Double or Nothing, becoming a champion for the first time in 12 months against the woman who almost ended her career last May at NJPW Resurgence, Mercedes Mone kept the party going at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles for Dynamite, with a special celebration booked for the opening segment of the show.
Discussing how it felt to finally return to the ring and return to the championship picture on the very same night, Mone first decided to celebrate her fellow AEW/NJPW standout Willow for her TBS Title reign, letting the fans in LA know that she is a big fan of Nightingale, even if she never trusted Stokely Hathaway or Kris Statlander.
“Los Angeles, please say hello to your CEO and your new TBS Champion! Wasn't I worth the weight? Didn't I tell you money changes everything? And I did exactly that at Double or Nothing. You see, not only did we celebrate five years of AEW, we celebrated the in-ring return of the greatest of all time, me,” Mercedes Mone declared on Dynamite.
“And you guys, I am so proud to say that this Sunday, Willow and I tore the house down. Willow had the run of her career, and she gave me the fight of her life, but d**n girl, you are just way too nice; I could have told you a mile away that Kris and that sneaky snake Stokley were going to screw you over. But Willow, when you come back, when you return, I want you to come back better than ever, and I hope that you kick their a**. Now back to your celebration. You see, being the CEO and the new face of TBS puts a big target on my back, but I am not afraid, I was born to do this, so I am ready! And now we are only four weeks away from Forbidden Door, and I can't wait to find out who…”
Unfortunately for Mone, her celebration was ruined by Skye Blue, who decided to attack her verbally in a video package and again moments later with a behind-the-back sneak attack. Fortunately, Mone took care of her a few minutes later in her television debut and proved once more why she is one of the best in-ring stars the world knows today.
Merdedes Mone is excited for her future in AEW.
Speaking of Mercedes Mone's throwdown with Willow Nightingale, the “CEO” put over long-time rival for their match at Double or Nothing during the media scrum, declaring that their match together was a perfect way to kick off an exciting run in AEW.
“How did it finally feel after a year of being away from something that I've loved since I was a little girl? Wrestling has not only changed my life but saved my life. Coming here to AEW has saved my life. It's given me new hopes, new dreams, new chances, new opportunities. Tonight, being here at AEW, celebrating five years of AEW, being here with Willow, who is legit one of the greatest women I've ever stepped in the ring with, and I've been doing this for 14 years. She is legit one of the best. Amazing. It feels so incredible. I've been waiting for this moment, really ever since I got signed to AEW, but really for the past two years of not knowing of where I was going to be or what was going to happen after leaving WWE,” Mercedes Mone told reporters via Fightful.
“What was going to be next for me? A lot of times in wrestling, people think WWE is the only place. Tonight, we showed the wrestling world that it is not the only place. AEW is where the best wrestle, and we had the greatest show tonight, celebrating five years of this incredible company where we cannot be denied. We are going to show wrestling fans around the world that this is the place to celebrate wrestling because this is the best place to be.”
What will the future hold for Mone? Well, after securing a win over Skye Blue in her first win on television, the current NJPW Strong Women's Champion, Stephanie Vaquer, marched out to the ring to challenge the “CEO,” signifying that they may be throwing down together at Forbidden Door in a few weeks time. And beyond that? Well, AEW is where the best wrestle, right? So why not keep rolling the dice to see if she can keep her hot streak going?