Battle of the debuts: Did Mercedes Mone outdo major WWE Backlash up and comer?

Mercedes Mone made her groundbreaking AEW debut at AEW Dynamite: Big Business last month but The CEO has apparently failed to outshine a debut that occurred at WWE Backlash. The PLE took place in Lyon, France last Saturday (May 5) and was a huge success.

There were many memorable moments during the show, including Tanga Loa's shocking debut. The former one-time ROH Tag Team Champion aligned with his brother Tama Tonga and joined The Bloodline. This was a huge hit with fans as it raked in more than 50,000,000+ views in its first 72 hours across all WWE social media platforms.

To put that into context, it boasts more views than AEW's Mercedes Mone, Will Ospreay, and Kazuchika Okada's AEW debut combined. The trio's debuts stand at around 44,000,000 views at the moment, as a fan posted on X/Twitter.

There has been a huge debate about Mercedes Mone (known as Sasha Banks in WWE) and whether she is a needle mover. The former six-time WWE Women's Champion was one of Stamford-based company's most popular female superstars until her unamicable departure in May 2022.

The 32-year-old debuted in front of a raucous hometown crowd at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. She's been rebranded as The CEO since arriving in AEW but many fans feel her star still shone brightest in WWE.

That said, fans were well aware that Mone was set to debut at AEW Big Business. That wasn't the case for Tanga Loa at WWE Backlash: France as many expected Jacob Fatu to be the newest Bloodline recruit. The unpredictability of his debut may have drawn more eyes to it on social media.

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Mercedes Mone's close friend Bayley successfully defended her title at WWE Backlash

Tanga Loa's debut at Backlash 2024 caught fans' attention but so did an impressive triple-threat match for the WWE Women's Championship. Bayley defended her title with a win over Naomi and Tiffany Stratton.

It was the 34-year-old's first defense of her title and she came out on top albeit in a hard-fought match where she reversed a pinfall attempt on Naomi. She won the gold at WrestleMania XL against her former Damage CTRL partner IYO SKY.

Bayley has been making history in WWE without her former tag partner Mercedes Mone. She was present at AEW Dynamite: Big Business for her close friend's debut. The WWE Women's Champion explained why she attended the event and how much their friendship meant to her.

"[Mercedes] is the best, I wouldn't be here without her. She's done so much for me. Even after she was done with WWE, she's been there for me in my big moments. So I know I need to be there for her continuously throughout the years." [H/T - Fightful]

Mercedes Mone didn't attend WWE Backlash: France as she's caught up with all things AEW. She's set to challenge Nightingale for the AEW TBS Championship at Double or Nothing on May 26. The Boss 'n' Hug Connection could be about to be the holders of two of pro wrestling's most coveted titles if thing go The CEO's way this Sunday.