Published: Jul 9, 2025 by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: Jul 9, 2025 by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
AEW
Tony Khan has revealed who has creative control in AEW following recent suggestions that Mercedes Mone navigates her own path.
Recently, Mercedes Mone reacted to being called “Mercedes Hogan” due to the perception that she has remained dominant through her own creative control.
Tony Khan has now addressed claims that Mone is dictating her own creative during the AEW All In: Texas Media Call.
Speaking during the July 8 media call ahead of the upcoming AEW pay-per-view, Khan shot down suggestions that Mone had creative control “ridiculous”, stating:
“That’s definitely not true at all. I have wanted Mercedes Moné in AEW and she is a big star on the show.
“I really enjoy working with her backstage… I also think it’s ridiculous, the idea that people would think because she’s a strong wrestler on the show that she must be the one dictating that.
“That is the complete opposite of what happens here.”
Khan would go on to describe the creative process that he has fostered in AEW, referring to the upcoming match between Mone and Toni Storm at All In: Texas, saying:
“I have such a high opinion of Mercedes in particular.
“They are two of the best wrestlers on the planet. They are two people I meet with every single week. At least once a week, but usually multiple times a week and hear out ideas they might have and they hear out ideas I have.
“For both of them, I’m very involved in the direction of their character personally… In the case of this match, it’s something I really wanted to have in AEW for a very long time.”
Reiterating that, as AEW owner, he’s the man with creative control, Khan would note that the stature of Mercedes Mone as a talent dictates her direction, explaining:
“The idea that anybody in AEW has a creative control card and that’s why anybody would get a push here because they dictate it: that’s not how it works…
“When you have somebody of that stature, you would want to feature them and push them strongly.”
Khan would also note that he has had “final creative control” since the inception of AEW in 2019,
At All In; Texas on July 13, Toni Storm will defend the AEW Women’s World Championship against Mercedes Mone, with the full card for the show available here.
Transcript from SEScoops.
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