Former WWE superstar Mercedes Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks, and Kazuchika Okada are reportedly on their way to joining AEW, with Will Ospreay also set to transition to a full-time role as his NJPW contract comes to an end this month. Wrestling icon Booker T has weighed in on what AEW should and shouldn’t do with these new recruits.
Mone left WWE in 2022 and has since been competing in NJPW and Stardom, fueling rumors of her move to AEW. The anticipation for her debut has reached a fever pitch, especially since the announcement of the Big Business edition of Dynamite scheduled for March 13th in Boston, her hometown.
On his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T emphasized the importance of integrating Mone, Okada, and Ospreay into meaningful storylines rather than just throwing them into random matches.
“You’ve got guys like Will Ospreay and Okada, you’ve got Mone coming in, let’s see what we do with them, let’s see if we can put them in something and really create some good story. That’s what I want to see out of all these guys coming in,” Booker T expressed.
However, not everyone shares Booker T’s optimism. Wrestling legend Konnan has expressed doubts about Mone’s potential to rise as a top star in AEW, echoing concerns about the promotion’s handling of its women’s division since its inception.
Advertisement— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) January 27, 2024
Many have made assumptions regarding Mone’s future at AEW as a result of the company’s criticism for booking female talent. The debate regarding how AEW would use its new stars and whether Mone will have the same opportunity to flourish as her male counterparts is still going strong, and Konnan’s doubts continue to fuel it.
