Mercedes Moné Says She’s Stepping Away From AEW After Cake Attack Fallout

Mercedes Moné didn’t just respond to the chaos on AEW Dynamite — she changed the entire conversation.

After Willow Nightingale’s celebration turned into a brutal humiliation on the January 7 episode of Dynamite, AEW aired a previously unseen video during the January 10 episode of Collision featuring Moné alone on the floor, staring into a mirror, clearly shaken and furious. The segment wasn’t about revenge in the moment. It was about something bigger. Moné opened by rejecting the idea that Nightingale’s actions meant anything beyond cheap theatrics.

“Whoa, you want to smile and laugh and play hero? Well, heroes don’t build divisions. Icons.”

She then laid out her legacy, making it clear she believes her résumé speaks louder than anything that happened in the ring that night.

“Over five hundred days I held that championship not because I was lucky, because I was undeniable. I was the greatest. I was PWI’s number one wrestler of the year, Sports Illustrated number one.”

But the real shift came when Moné stopped talking about Willow and started talking about AEW itself. She said the treatment she’s received since arriving has crossed a line and that she’s done accepting it. Then came the bombshell.

“Ever since I arrived to AEW, I have been shown nothing but disrespect. I am so sick and tired of the disrespect around here. To show you bitches a lesson, I am taking a break from AEW to show you why and how I elevated.”

Moné didn’t give a timeline. She didn’t tease a return date. Instead, she made it clear that this is intentional, calculated, and personal.

“Good luck without me. Because when I return, I am collecting more than just titles.”

This wasn’t framed as an injury angle. This wasn’t framed as storyline frustration alone. Mercedes Moné directly told the audience she is stepping away, and she framed it as a power move — not a retreat.

Whether this is a storyline pause, a longer-term absence, or something in between, AEW has now officially acknowledged it on television. And that alone changes the landscape of the women’s division moving forward.

Do you think Mercedes Moné stepping away makes her eventual return even bigger, or does AEW risk losing momentum without her on TV? Leave your thoughts in the comments.