AEW Star Was Negotiating With WWE During All In 2023
AEW Star Was Negotiating With WWE During All In 2023
vishalbhawaniTue, August 18, 2026 at 3:16 AM UTC
0
Photo Credit: AEW
Mercedes Moné has revealed that she was still negotiating with WWE when she attended AEW All In 2023 at Wembley Stadium.
Looking back ahead of her AEW Women’s World Championship match at All In 2026, Moné shared how that visit ultimately changed her perspective, though the full story unfolded only after she arrived backstage.
Writing in the latest edition of Moné Mag, Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks, explained that she accepted an invitation to attend All In simply because she couldn’t pass up witnessing such a historic wrestling event.
“I was still going back and forth in talks with WWE when I got an invitation to go to All In London,” Moné wrote. “There was absolutely NO WAY I was going to miss the opportunity to witness something this big.”
Mercedes Moné Reveals Tony Khan’s Early Willow Nightingale Pitch
Once backstage, Moné crossed paths with AEW President Tony Khan, who immediately floated an unexpected idea. According to Moné, Khan wanted her to appear in a backstage segment alongside Willow Nightingale despite not having signed with AEW.
“Then I saw Tony backstage, and he was SO excited to have me there,” she recalled. “He wanted me to do a backstage segment with… WILLOW! I was like — ‘WAIT! I am NOT signed. I do NOT work here. I’m just here to enjoy the show!'”
Advertisement
Instead, Moné spent the evening catching up with familiar faces. These included Amanda Huber, Renee Paquette and Rusev (Miro), before taking her seat to watch the event as a fan. She admitted that was a rare experience, joking that the only similar moment came when she attended one of Bayley’s WrestleMania matches in disguise.
“For once… I got to be a FAN,” Moné wrote. “No match to prepare for. No entrance to think about. No pressure.”
That experience proved to be a turning point. “I was in awe,” she said. “When I got back home, there was one thing I couldn’t stop thinking about: AEW WAS THE PLACE FOR ME.”
Now, the backstage idea that never happened has come full circle. Moné is set to challenge Willow Nightingale for the AEW Women’s World Championship at All In 2026 after winning the Owen Hart Tournament. She also heads into the title bout with momentum following her victory over Zayda Steel on the Aug. 15 edition of AEW Collision. Sometimes, long-term booking isn’t just for the ring — it starts backstage.
Read More: Controversial Former Wrestler Says His WWE Past Cost Him a Major Job
The post AEW Star Was Negotiating With WWE During All In 2023 appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
