Mercedes Moné Explains Reason For Six-Month Absence From AEW

There was nothing sinister behind Mercedes Moné's hiatus from All Elite Wrestling, with the former TBS Champion explaining in her Moné Mag newsletter that she was simply taking time off from the promotion.

Moné wrote, in part: "Almost 6 months away. I’ve never had a break that long that wasn't due to injury and after 16 years it was the first time I got to truly relax and have no worries... Can I enjoy my vacation in peace? Can a woman have a period and be bloated? Can I enjoy my time off without speculation and rumors?"

Mercedes Moné was off AEW TV from the January 10 edition of Collision until her return on the June 3 episode of Dynamite as the wild card in the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament. Moné went on to defeat Alex Windsor in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Reports have noted that Moné was always planned to be gone from AEW beyond April's Dynasty pay-per-view and her involvement upon returning would have "major ramifications for the top of the card in AEW."

Moné continued to wrestle while gone from AEW TV, losing all of the championships she had accumulated in recent years on the independent wrestling scene. Prior to her return on June 3, though, Moné had not wrestled since March 31 when she dropped the Winnipeg Pro Wrestling Women's Championship to Jody Threat.