Backstage News on Mercedes Moné’s Historic 12-Title Win – At AEW WrestleDream on October 18, TBS Champion Mercedes Mone issued a surprise open challenge that was answered by Mina Shirakawa. Mone retained her title in the impromptu match, but the bout carried far greater significance than fans initially realized.

According to The Wrestling Observer, AEW’s plan was to have Mone achieve a major milestone at WrestleDream 2025—breaking Ultimo Dragon’s long-standing record for the most championships held at once by a single wrestler. The decision to keep the match announcement until the last minute was reportedly a strategic one.

The report noted that AEW didn’t want to spoil the results of another promotion’s event the night before WrestleDream. On October 17, Mone successfully defended her CMLL Women’s Championship against Persephone in Mexico City. If AEW had promoted her WrestleDream match earlier, it would have revealed that she was retaining the CMLL title. Unlike WWE, which typically ignores such spoilers, AEW chose to withhold the announcement to preserve the suspense for fans following both promotions.

After defeating Shirakawa, Mone officially became a 12-time concurrent champion, surpassing Ultimo Dragon’s previous record of 10. Her WrestleDream victory marked her 11th title, and the following day—October 19—she added another championship by defeating Jody Threat at a Winnipeg Pro Wrestling event to capture the WPW Women’s Championship.

Following her historic win in Canada, Mone posted a message on Instagram declaring herself “the best to ever do it,” celebrating her unprecedented run as the most decorated active champion in professional wrestling.

Her celebration at WrestleDream was short-lived, as AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander confronted her immediately after the match, sparking a brawl between the two. Mone later issued a formal challenge to Statlander for a title match at AEW Full Gear, set for Saturday, November 22, 2025, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Although the match has not been officially confirmed, it is expected to be one of the featured bouts on the card.

Backstage News on Mercedes Moné’s Historic 12-Title Win

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