Mercedes Mone is taking the AEW Women’s World Championship beyond the usual wrestling settings less than two weeks after capturing the title at All In.
Mone attended the Forbes Power Women’s Summit with the championship in hand, sharing photos from the event and using the appearance to underline her belief that women’s wrestling deserves a prominent place in major cultural and business conversations. The reigning champion posted images of herself holding the AEW Women’s World Title at the summit and framed the outing as part of a larger effort to expand the visibility of the division.
“I’m proud to bring women’s wrestling into spaces where it deserves to be seen, heard, and respected! From the ring to the Forbes Women’s Summit, I’m showing that women’s wrestling belongs in every room. 🤑👊🏽”
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The event marked another high-profile public appearance for Mone following her championship win over Willow Nightingale at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Mone defeated Nightingale at All In to win her first AEW Women’s World Championship, a milestone that added the top prize in AEW’s women’s division to a career already defined by championship success and major crossover recognition.
For more background on this topic, read Jim Ross Says Bayley Would Be a Major Addition to AEW’s Women’s Division.
While title reigns are often measured through defenses, rivalries, and weekly television appearances, Mone’s summit appearance illustrated a different side of her role as champion. She positioned the title as a visible symbol of women’s wrestling’s reach, carrying it into a space built around leadership, influence, and professional achievement outside of wrestling.
Mone’s championship win at All In
All In at Wembley Stadium was one of the biggest stages available to AEW, and Mone’s victory over Nightingale gave her a defining moment in the company. The match was also physically costly. Mone suffered a broken nose during the championship bout, leaving uncertainty around when she will be cleared to return to in-ring competition.
She has not wrestled since defeating Nightingale. As a result, there is no confirmed date for her first title defense or her full return to the ring. Mone remains active publicly, however, and the Forbes Power Women’s Summit appearance showed that she is continuing to represent AEW and the championship while her medical status remains a question.
The AEW Women’s World Championship has naturally been part of the focus since All In, particularly because Mone’s victory changed the direction of the division after Nightingale’s reign. Mone has made clear through her social media posts that she sees the title as more than a wrestling accolade. In her view, it is also a platform capable of putting women’s wrestling in front of audiences who may not routinely follow AEW programming.
That perspective is consistent with the public identity Mone has built throughout her career. She has long presented herself as a performer whose ambitions reach beyond match results, and appearing at a summit centered on women with influence across multiple industries reinforced that approach.
A title presentation beyond wrestling television
Championship belts frequently appear at media events, red carpets, community appearances, and promotional stops, but Mone’s message gave this outing a specific emphasis. Her comments centered on respect and recognition for women’s wrestling, rather than simply celebrating a personal accomplishment.
For AEW, having its women’s world champion bring the title to an event such as the Forbes Power Women’s Summit offers exposure in a setting far removed from an arena or wrestling convention. Mone’s presence connected the championship to a wider discussion about women’s accomplishments and leadership, while also placing an AEW-branded prize in front of an audience outside the company’s regular fan base.
It also continues a period in which women’s wrestling has increasingly moved into broader entertainment and sports discussions. Wrestlers have become recognizable figures through media appearances, acting opportunities, business ventures, interviews, and social platforms. Mone’s appearance did not involve a match or an AEW broadcast angle, but it carried relevance to her reign because she brought the title with her and directly identified women’s wrestling as the cause she wanted to promote.
Her wording was especially direct: Mone stated that women’s wrestling belongs “in every room.” That statement places the focus on access and stature, suggesting that wrestling should be represented alongside other areas of sport, entertainment, and business rather than treated as a niche interest separate from those worlds.
Thekla confrontation points toward Mone’s next program
Although Mone’s immediate in-ring timetable remains unresolved, AEW has already offered a potential direction for the championship scene. Former champion Thekla has confronted Mone in recent weeks, creating the expectation that the two could be headed toward a match once Mone is cleared to compete.
The possibility of a Mone-Thekla title program brings an important question to the forefront: when will the champion be medically ready to wrestle again? Mone’s broken nose at All In has been the key factor following her win over Nightingale. There has been no confirmed indication that she has received clearance, and her absence from competition since the event means the situation remains open.
Until that changes, the confrontation with Thekla stands as an apparent next chapter rather than a confirmed match. Thekla’s interest in Mone gives AEW a clear challenger waiting in the wings, but no official bout date has been established. The champion’s health will determine when that rivalry can move from confrontations into the ring.
The situation also gives added context to Mone’s non-wrestling appearances. With no match currently announced and recovery still a consideration, she has continued to keep the title visible through public events. Rather than allowing the championship to disappear from view while she is away from active competition, Mone has used opportunities such as the summit to maintain its presence.
Mercedes Mone continues to define her reign publicly
Mone’s AEW Women’s World Championship reign is still in its early stages, and the defining matches of that run have yet to take shape. Her All In victory over Nightingale remains the central in-ring development, while a potential challenge from Thekla appears to be the most immediate storyline waiting for her.
Yet the Forbes Power Women’s Summit provided an early indication of how Mone intends to present herself as champion. She is not limiting the title to AEW events or to the traditional promotional cycle around a television match. Instead, she is carrying it into high-visibility settings and tying its significance to a broader message about the standing of women’s wrestling.
That does not answer the lingering medical question. Mone’s broken nose and the lack of a post-All In match mean that AEW’s next steps with the champion remain dependent on her clearance. Fans will be watching for any official update regarding her return, particularly with Thekla having emerged as a likely opponent.
For now, Mone is making sure the AEW Women’s World Championship remains part of the conversation. Her appearance at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit was not a title defense, but it was a deliberate statement of representation from a champion who believes women’s wrestling should be visible wherever influential conversations are taking place.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.