Mercedes Mone has ‘mixed emotions’ on violence at AEW All Out

Seeing all of the violent pro wrestling at AEW All Out brought out mixed emotions in TBS Champion Mercedes Mone.

A violent Bryan Danielson-Jon Moxley angle and Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page and Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale stipulation matches went down at the pay-per-view, causing an online debate about where the line for violence in pro wrestling should be. Mone weighed in on that debate in her weekly Mone Mag to fans, writing that — while she knows some people love extreme wrestling — she wouldn’t want kids watching something like the Danielson-Moxley angle.

“All Out was extremely violent, and honestly, Daniel Bryan’s stuff was tough to watch. I have mixed emotions. When done right, that kind of stuff can tear a roof off like Daniel’s did. However, I wouldn’t want my brother Joshua to watch stuff like that, or kids, for that matter,” she wrote.

“Let’s face it, wrestling is multi-generational. When I do signings, I greet so many parents and their children. Growing up, I didn’t have a father, so it especially warms my heart to meet families and hear how much their wrestling viewing experiences and memories mean to them. Then again, there is an audience that loves the extreme, and you want to cater to them, too.”

Mone added that, while some people are inclined to blame the promotion for too much violence, a lot of it is up to the wrestlers themselves.

“When you see your favorite stars going to the extreme, you may want to blame the promotion. Honestly, though, it’s the talent who will usually make the calls in the ring,” Mone wrote. “While I credit talents who go to the extreme in terms of violence inflicted upon themselves for their passion and courage, I also want talent to have longevity and to graduate from this world healthy and able to function. Our bodies go through enough with all the bumps, not to mention the travel and schedule. Personally, I’m at a place careerwise where I’d like to avoid extreme matches – unless it’s a true big value add to the company.”

Despite Mone having some trepidation about too much violence in wrestling, she noted that she felt the Statlander vs. Nightingale street fight stole the show at All Out and was one of the best women’s matches of the year.

Mone had a title defense at the PPV, retaining her TBS Championship against Hikaru Shida.