More has come out regarding Mercedes Monè signing with AEW, including how she may now be the highest paid woman in wrestling.
This week on AEW Dynamite, Mercedes Monè made her stunning debut. Her arrival was something that was heavily teased by the company, and most fans came into the show with the firm belief that she would be appearing. In the end, fans in the TD Garden weren’t disappointed as the former Sasha Banks made her return after having to spend time on the sidelines dealing with an ankle injury.
Now, per Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, more has come out about AEW signing Mercedes. To begin, it’s said that the 32-year-old was negotiating with WWE in both 2022 and 2023, wanting more money than they were prepared to agree to. It’s mentioned that Tony Khan’s offer was ‘very substantial’, although less than the $5 million that some have been suggesting.
“Varnado had negotiated with WWE in late 2022 and again in late 2023, and both times from the WWE side, she was wanting more money than they were offering, with reports she was seeking Becky Lynch level money. While it’s not clear what Khan’s offer was, those with knowledge of the offer said it was very substantial, obviously higher than WWE, but considerably lower than the $5 million per year figure going around.”
-Dave Meltzer
Despite the offer being less than the $5 million figure that was circulated, Meltzer notes that one female WWE talent is of the belief that Mercedes’ contract is enough to make her the highest paid woman in the history of pro wrestling.
One WWE woman star noted to us that they were hearing that the number was enough to make her the highest paid woman in pro wrestling and that they were thrilled at AEW for making the offer and happy for her to have accepted it, because in the long run it means it’s a better market for the top women wrestlers, noting, “I think it sets a standard that woman should be paid, too. The women do great numbers and have huge social followings” and also said that it was “a huge deal for women in the industry who are paid a lot less than men.”
-Dave Meltzer
Mercedes’ arrival completes the set of three major signings for AEW in recent weeks. In November, it was announced that Will Ospreay would be joining All Elite Wrestling upon the expiry of his NJPW contract, and the Brit made his first appearance as a full time member of the roster prior to Revolution. Then, The Rainmaker Kazuchika Okada debuted for the company the week following their most recent pay-per-view and The CEO followed suit this past Wednesday.
On this, Meltzer states that Tony Khan offered more money than WWE on all three of these occasions, with the opposition seemingly relying on the grandeur of WrestleMania to lure talent in.
“In all three cases it was known that Khan offered more money than WWE, and WWE officials, who seemingly expected the lure of WWE and WrestleMania being enough of a deciding factor, ended up with it not being the case.”
-Dave Meltzer
Monè is set to be a huge star for AEW and this was reflected in how she bookended her debut show. She began with a promo addressing her pro wrestling journey ended by setting up potential feuds against both Skye Blue and the TBS Champion Julia Hart.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Mercedes Monè’s AEW debut as soon as we hear more.
