As Mercedes Mone rapidly approaches… some sort of free agency decision following the end of her affiliation with New Japan Pro Wrestling, public opinion is firmly in the camp that the former WWE Women's Champion will find herself a member of AEW when the dust settles.

On paper, it makes sense, right? AEW fans have been clamoring for her addition for literally years now, and after she made an appearance in the crowd at All In 2023, it's clear there's at least some sort of communication between the two sides, even if it's more cordial than business-related. If WWE doesn't swoop in and book the former Sasha Banks for the Royal Rumble, all signs point to Mone earning her #IsAllElite graphic sooner than later.

Or should it?

Discussing the “CEO's” free agency on his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff let it be known that he fully believes that there's one destination that Mone should consider moving forward: WWE.

“I don't know her [Mercedes Mone] motivation. I mean, she's gonna make more money and have more success in WWE. There's no question about that. So, from a financial point of view, it's a WWE move,” Eric Bischoff said via Ringside News. “Now, is there s**t going on backstage or relationship-wise? Is there political baggage there that is clouding the picture? I don't know. But, if I'm her or I'm her agent or business manager, I'm gonna try to go to WWE because that's where she's going to make the largest amount of money.”

While Bischoff does think Mone should sign with WWE if she is in demand between the two companies, if only AEW is offering her the sort of money that can make a legitimate difference to her life, the former WCW boss wouldn't fault her for taking the check.

“Could she make more money with Tony? Yes. But her career as a star is effectively over at that point. And if one doesn't agree with that statement, look at any other ‘former WWE star' that is better off today than they were at the peak of their careers in WWE. I'm not talking about the guys who were on their way out the door or the guys that really, you know, hadn't been used very often,” Bischoff noted.

“I'm talking about people that were at their peak of their careers in WWE. They make that move to AEW. Their career is not what it was. It's the end of the road. But if the end of the road comes with a big old fat paycheck, so you don't need any more road, I'd be right there with you. I'd do the same thing.”

Is Bischoff on the money? Well, considering Mone is arguably the most in-demand free agent in all of professional wrestling, it's safe to say she isn't going to be “forced” to go full-time into acting if she doesn't want to. Who is willing to pay up for her services, however, remains to be seen, as until she's signed, her status at the top of the free agency market will remain.

Eric Bischoff weighs on the idea of Sting versus the Young Bucks.

Elsewhere on his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff commented on Sting's final match, which will all but certainly feature the Young Bucks, Nicholas and Matthew Jackson, across from “The Icon” and Darby Allin.

While Bischoff is notably not the biggest fan of AEW or how their EVPs always carry themselves, he is excited to see the Bucks in the ring with his long-time friend, as they should be able to cover for his weaknesses and turn in a five-star match.

“Yeah, okay, well, and given their win-loss record, why aren't they getting a title shot [Sting and Darby Allin]? Now, remember that because we're going to come back to that. Because records matter. Wins and losses matter. What do I think of that pairing? I think the in-ring product that we're going to see from an execution perspective is definitely going to be there. Right? I understand the 40. Like, I want to be careful here because I don't want to see anything that can be all inferred to be or implied to be; oh, I need to use that word correctly. I was corrected by a listener the other day. I saw that. Yeah, I think it's cool too. I appreciate that kind of thing,” Eric Bischoff explained via Wrestling Headlines.

“But like they're gonna, visually, it's going to be a great match. It's going to come together. There'll be a lot of moving pieces. It'll take the pressure off of singing, performing with one dance partner for 12, 15, 18, 20 minutes, whatever they're going to do. I get why they're doing it. It's a little bit like using a celebrity. You know, when you bring celebrities in, it's a lot easier to put them in a tag and have a lot of action moving on around them to keep the crowd going and take the pressure off the talent in the ring. And not that, you know, Steve Borden certainly has forgotten more about how to perform in the ringtone. Most people who are his peers know, right, but still, time is what time is. I get it. The only thing that I'm curious about is what the story is other than the fact that we know it'll look good on TV. Why, where's the why, and if they can tell me how, it doesn't even have to make a ton of sense, just a little bit of why and keep that wide building so that the match actually means something beyond Sting's last match so that it means more than just singing last match with a couple of guys I can bounce around a ring. That's what I hope we see. So let's take a wait and see.”

In the opinion of some fans, the idea of giving the Bucks a match against Sting, who they have barely any experience wrestling against, is a slap in the face, as there are more “worthy” performers like Goldberg, whom he has wrestled with extensively over their shared time together in WCW. Still, if Sting wants to wrestle the Young Bucks in his final match, why not give him what he wants?