WWE Hall of Famer brutally slams AEW; says Mercedes Mone signing will mean "nothing" for the company

A member of the WWE Hall of Fame has harshly criticized AEW for failing to grow its business despite signing some of the biggest names in the industry. He also said that signing Mercedes Mone will not mean anything for the company.

Eric Bischoff, the former Senior Vice President of WCW, recently spoke on an "Ask Eric Anything" edition of his 83 Weeks podcast about the speculations regarding AEW hiring Mercedes Mone. Bischoff claimed that the high-profile signing would not translate to profits for the company, pointing out that previous such signings likewise failed to grow its business:

"Nothing. I mean, how many times have we seen big names come from from WWE to AEW, and people speculating about how it's going to impact the business, and what's gonna happen, and nothing happens. It doesn't matter who you bring in there. I made the comment and I'm gonna make it again. AEW is quickly becoming TNA."

The former RAW General Manager touched on the recent downfall in the sale of tickets for AEW shows and the fluctuation in television viewership. He argued that outside of outliers such as the British wrestling market, the company is experiencing a relatively slower rate of progress, unlike during its earlier years, and unlike WWE right now:

"The television audience continues to deteriorate while WWE's continues to grow. You look at their ticket sales, outside of anomalies or outliers I should say like, UK, and they're not doing nearly as well as they were in the past. Look at their Dynamite shows. Check out WrestleTix on social media and you can see their ticket sales. They're playing in 10,000 or 15,000 seat venues, but they're scaling them down to 4,000 and a week before the event, they haven't sold out yet. So it doesn't matter." [H/T, Wrestling News]

Bischoff drew parallels between the Jacksonville-based promotion and TNA, stating he had advised Dixie Carter, the former President of Impact, on the futility of employing the top stars of the industry without a model or plans that enhanced the scope and production value of the company's output.

Mone is expected to join Tony Khan's company imminently after talks between the Boss and WWE fell through recently. Mone has been out of action since sustaining an injury during her match with Willow Nightingale at NJPW Resurgence 2023, failing to win the Strong Women's Championship.

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Major speculation regarding Mercedes Mone's AEW debut

Mercedes Mone has drawn the eyeballs of the wrestling world on her, courtesy of being one of the top free agents in wrestling. While the former Smackdown Women's Champion had engaged in business talks with WWE, recent reports indicate she is more likely to debut in AEW shortly.

Replying to Sean Ross Sapp's post on X claiming that Mone is expected to be All Elite, Andrew Zarian confirmed the speculation, though he made it clear that he had no knowledge as to the date of her debut. Zarian said that she might make her first appearance the following week or a few weeks out but that it would happen soon.

With the recent debut of Mariah May and the addition of Deonna Purrazzo to the roster, the women's division of AEW seems to be brimming with potential. Mone's inclusion in this roster, fans expect, will help the division realize that potential.

Will Mercedes Mone be All Elite on the next episode of Dynamite? Let us know in the comments below!