Thekla is not reading Mercedes Moné’s recent verbal shot as a personal attack.
Following Moné’s AEW Women’s World Championship victory at All In, Thekla emerged as one of the names positioned around the title picture. The two shared a confrontation on AEW Dynamite, where Moné delivered a cutting line while addressing the possibility of facing the former champion.
“If you think a little five-foot dumb blonde b*tch who didn’t grow up loving wrestling is gonna scare me, then you must not know who the hell I am.”
The remark naturally drew attention, particularly because Thekla was standing across from Moné during the exchange. However, Thekla does not believe the champion was actually referring to her when she made it. Speaking on Inside The Ring, Thekla made clear that she is not treating the comment as something directed at her personally.
For more background on this topic, read Yota Tsuji Says Establishing an Equal Relationship With AEW Is a Priority.
“First of all, I don’t think she was actually talking at me. I think everybody knows that, so, if you see me, I’m not even taking that personally so, you can think whatever you want.”
That response adds an unusual wrinkle to the developing rivalry. Moné’s promo language was intentionally confrontational, and it came at a moment when Thekla was visibly entering the conversation surrounding the AEW Women’s World Championship. Yet Thekla’s interpretation is that the words carried a broader target rather than being a direct attempt to provoke her.
Whether Moné intended the comment for Thekla or not, the two women remain closely connected by the championship path now in front of them. Thekla will first have to get through Willow Nightingale at All Out. The winner of that singles bout will move on to challenge Moné for the AEW Women’s World Championship at WrestleDream in October.
A Championship Road Runs Through Willow Nightingale
Thekla’s comments arrive as the immediate focus shifts from the Dynamite confrontation to All Out. Before any title match with Moné can become official, Thekla must defeat Nightingale. That stipulation makes the All Out encounter particularly important for all three women involved in this section of the AEW women’s division.
For Thekla, the match represents a direct opportunity to convert momentum and attention into a championship challenge. She has already been placed in a prominent position through her exchange with Moné, but the title match is not guaranteed. Nightingale stands between her and WrestleDream, and there is no shortcut around that assignment.
Nightingale, meanwhile, has a chance to take the title opportunity for herself. The stipulation means the All Out winner does more than score a meaningful singles victory; she becomes the next challenger for the AEW Women’s World Championship. With Moné waiting at WrestleDream, the stakes are clear even if Thekla has been the person most recently linked to the champion on television.
The structure also prevents the recent Dynamite segment from becoming the entirety of the story. Thekla and Moné may have exchanged words, but Nightingale has the power to redirect the championship picture completely. A victory for Nightingale would send her to WrestleDream and leave Thekla’s prospective meeting with Moné unfinished.
That makes Thekla’s composed reaction to Moné especially notable. She is not escalating the verbal exchange or presenting herself as distracted by it. Instead, her words suggest that she is separating what happened in the promo segment from the work that must be done at All Out.
Thekla Refuses To Give The Comment Extra Weight
Professional wrestling thrives on confrontations that create doubt, tension, and personal stakes. Moné’s statement had the kind of phrasing that could easily be taken as an insult toward the woman opposite her. Thekla’s response does not deny that Moné said it. Rather, she rejects the idea that it should define their current situation or affect her mindset.
There is a difference between responding to a quote and allowing it to become the central issue. Thekla chose the former. Her stance is that viewers are free to make their own interpretation, while she is not taking ownership of a line she does not believe was aimed at her.
That approach is also consistent with the competitive reality in front of her. There is a major match at All Out before any WrestleDream showdown can take place. Putting too much attention on Moné now would risk overlooking Nightingale, whose role in the championship chase is every bit as consequential.
Moné, for her part, remains the focal point because she is the champion. Capturing the AEW Women’s World Championship at All In placed her at the center of the division, and the All Out result will determine who faces her next. The titleholder does not need to wait long for clarity: Thekla or Nightingale will emerge with a WrestleDream date and a direct claim to the next championship opportunity.
Moné’s Words Keep Attention On The Division
Even with Thekla declining to take the comment personally, the exchange accomplished something important: it put renewed focus on the AEW Women’s World Championship scene. Moné’s choice of words projected confidence and defiance, reinforcing that she is not approaching the next challenger with uncertainty.
Thekla’s reaction projects a different kind of confidence. Instead of responding with outrage, she has dismissed the notion that the remark shook her. It is a measured answer, but it does not remove the possibility of a future conflict. If Thekla defeats Nightingale at All Out, she and Moné will have the chance to turn their verbal exchange into a championship match at WrestleDream.
At that point, intent may matter less than action. Thekla does not have to agree that the Dynamite line was aimed at her in order for a title match with Moné to carry tension. Their positions are already enough to create it: Moné is the reigning AEW Women’s World Champion, while Thekla is trying to earn the right to challenge her.
Still, Thekla’s answer prevents the narrative from becoming overly simple. She is not claiming disrespect where she does not see it. That leaves room for the story to develop through the matches themselves, beginning with her meeting against Nightingale.
All Out Will Set The WrestleDream Challenger
The upcoming All Out match is now the decisive next step. Thekla versus Nightingale will determine the WrestleDream challenger, and both competitors have a clear incentive to win beyond the immediate result. A victory means standing across from Moné with the AEW Women’s World Championship at stake.
For Thekla, winning would also bring the recent conversation with Moné into sharper focus. She may not feel that Moné’s “five-foot dumb blonde” line was meant for her, but defeating Nightingale would place her directly in front of the champion with no ambiguity about who is being addressed.
For Nightingale, a win would end the possibility of a near-term Thekla-Moné championship encounter and establish her as the woman moving forward to WrestleDream. The title picture is therefore not yet settled, regardless of how much attention the Dynamite segment generated.
As of now, Thekla is taking the situation in stride. She has heard Moné’s words, explained that she does not view them as personal, and kept the focus on what comes next. All Out will reveal whether she can turn that calm approach into a championship opportunity against Moné in October.
Until then, the AEW Women’s World Champion waits, Nightingale stands as a formidable obstacle, and Thekla remains adamant that she will not be rattled by a line she does not believe was about her in the first 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.