On last night’s “AEW Dynamite,” a sit-down interview with Saraya, Toni Storm, and Hikaru Shida, conducted by Renee Paquette, made waves. During the segment, Saraya lauded Storm as the best women’s wrestler in the world and selected her as her partner for the upcoming match, which visibly displeased Shida.
This development seemed to settle speculation about whether Mercedes Moné would make her AEW debut next week. Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer addressed this topic on the “Wrestling Observer Radio” podcast.
Meltzer commented, “It was quite evident from the show that she’s not in Los Angeles and is not joining AEW. I don’t think she wants to commit long-term, as joining AEW would entail a remarkable commitment.” His co-host, Bryan Alvarez, while not having any inside information, still suspects that Moné could make an appearance at the January 11 event.
Meltzer added, “AEW insiders have denied her involvement in the match. That’s why they had to announce a partner this week. There was too much speculation about Moné, and it’s clear now that she isn’t the one.”
Despite this, Alvarez and others remain skeptical, noting Shida’s evident frustration over being overlooked and the “Boss” reference made by Dr. Britt Baker earlier, suggesting that Moné’s involvement is still a possibility or that there may be further surprises leading up to next week’s event. AEW’s upcoming show in Los Angeles continues to generate important anticipation.