D-Von Dudley Says Mercedes Moné “Earned Her Right” to Call Herself the Greatest

Mercedes Moné drew backlash after calling herself the greatest pro wrestler from Massachusetts. Fans saw it as a direct shot at John Cena, and now D-Von Dudley is stepping in to defend the CEO of AEW.

During an appearance on the Duke Loves Rasslin podcast, Duke didn’t waste time calling it what it looked like: a dig at Cena. He also questioned why Moné would even make that claim, considering her West Coast roots.

“Mercedes Moné stated she is the greatest wrestler from Massachusetts in pro wrestling history. Now, she was taking a shot at John Cena, obviously. But I found that interesting because she’s from California. So what the hell is going on with your buddy over there, D-Von? Why is she trying to claim my state when she’s a West Coaster technically?”

D-Von, who worked closely with Moné during her time in WWE, said it’s all likely part of the wrestling act—and Moné’s just doing her job.

“Well, you know, it might be all part of the show. It’s pro wrestling, right? She’s getting underneath your skin—and it might be working.”

He also defended her off-screen personality, making it clear that the real Mercedes is nothing like the image some fans might have and that he still calls her Sasha.

“I still call her Sasha. I don’t call her the Moné… I still call her Sasha when I see her. Absolutely. Love her to death. She’s a great person. I think some people mistake her personality or persona as being a jerk or the B-word, but you know—she’s just protecting herself. She’s being her.”

The WWE Hall of Famer also called out the double standards in wrestling, especially for women who play strong heel characters, saying, “And why is it okay for men to do it, but if a woman does it, she’s the B-word? I don’t get that.”

When it came to Mercedes calling herself the greatest, D-Von made it clear Moné has earned her place to say what she wants.

“Again, this is a cutthroat business. If claiming you’re the greatest or doing heel stuff is what it takes, and you’ve done things that back that up, then by all means sweetheart—say what you gotta say.”

Things got even more personal when D-Von opened up about their WWE relationship, revealing Moné used to call him “Dad” backstage.

“Sasha calls me ‘Dad.’ The relationship her and I had in WWE—I don’t even know how it got that way, but she said, ‘You kinda remind me of my dad.’ Every time she saw me, she’d say, ‘Hey, Dad!’ It was never Devon—it was always, ‘Hey Dad.’ And I’d say, ‘That’s my daughter.’ When my girls were being born, I even joked, ‘You got another sister now!’”

Whether she’s calling herself the greatest or claiming a state she didn’t grow up in, Mercedes Moné is doing exactly what pro wrestling was built on—getting people talking, and that’s exactly why D-Von Dudley supports her.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.