The January 7 humiliation was a booking dead end

Mercedes Moné hasn't been on AEW television since that January 7 disaster on Dynamite. Dropping the TBS Championship was one thing, but the absolute embarrassment she suffered in the ring turned her into a punchline. This wasn't a sympathetic babyface setback; it was a total loss of momentum for a performer who came in with massive expectations.

You can track the decline back to her inability to pivot when the live crowd started turning against the persona. Her promos have become repetitive, leaning too hard on the CEO gimmick despite not having the booking to back up the authority. A top-tier star needs a threat, not just a catchphrase.

The blueprint for a successful comeback

When she returns, the current status quo of the TBS division won't cut it. AEW needs to book her into a high-stakes program that emphasizes the technical wrestling that put her on the map in the first place. Fans are tired of the posturing; they want to see the person who could work a 20-minute clinic with anybody on the roster.

As WrestleTalk recently detailed, the path back to relevance is narrow. She needs to drop the CEO shtick entirely. If she returns as a silent, mercenary-style heel, she can reset the fan relationship without the baggage of those awkward promos.

Booking a path to Double or Nothing

With AEW Double or Nothing 2026 sitting on the calendar for May 24, the timeline is tight. If they don't pull the trigger on a return angle by mid-April, the window for a major title match closes. She should intervene during a championship defense, avoiding the mic and letting an immediate beatdown speak for itself.

The current creative direction for the women’s division lacks a true antagonist. A cold, remorseless Moné targeting the gold is the only move that makes sense for the upcoming pay-per-view. If she insists on returning to the same character beats from early January, the audience will stay checked out. Booking mistakes happen, but doubling down on a failed persona is a death sentence in modern wrestling.