Storm vs. Moné Is My AEW All In: Texas Main Event

Over the Spring and Summer, Len Archibald will be a 411Mania guest columnist analyzing the state of women’s professional wrestling in North America.

Is that all I am to you? Is that all this is to you? Another trophy for your shelf? Another toy for your collection? Now, I want to say this as nicely as possible… Mercedes, I am not some other motherfucker!
-Timeless Toni Storm, AEW Collision

I’m not gonna front: IMO AEW’s #1 women’s money match is the future clash between the reigning four-time AEW Women’s World Champion, “Timeless” Toni Storm and Mercedes Moné, the belt-collecting global juggernaut and self-proclaimed CEO at All In: Texas in the upcoming weeks. As much as I am locked in on Hangman Adam Page hopefully…finally ending the Death Riders angle and defeating Jon Moxley for the AEW World Title, my personal main event is the collision (HA) of Glam vs. Grind.

This match is a clash of eras, aesthetics, and ideologies – a culmination of two careers that once ran parallel but now stand on opposite sides of the same ring. It’s a landmark moment not just for AEW, but for the further global perception and progression of women’s wrestling in North America — a confrontation years in the making, driven by two stars who blazed contrasting, yet equally impactful, paths to arrive at this pivotal crossroads.

I know Mercedes Moné in her current CEO/Belt Collector persona is one of the most divisive performers in the industry, recently capturing the CMLL Women’s Title at AEW Grand Slam Mexico. For me, she is the female John Cena, where fans who love Moné ADORE her (she has over 9 million followers across her social media platforms) and those who…aren’t fans?

Well…if you know you know😈

I’ve heard the clamor for other dream matchups – the formidable Jamie Hayter, whose intensity and connection with the audience are undeniable, but now is currently sidelined and needs time to rebuild her credibility to the heights she reached when she was AEW Women’s Champion. Just here at 411 we’ve had a lively debate about ROH Women’s Champ, The Forever Champ Athena and how she could have been involved to face either Storm or Moné. As much as I love Athena (PUT SOME RESPECT ON HER NAME), at the current moment, she hasn’t been marketed enough via Ring of Honor to have the immediate, global mainstream allure and narrative depth that a Storm vs. Moné clash brings to the table.

This isn’t merely about gold; it’s about legacy, identity, and the very soul of modern women’s wrestling a decade removed from the rallying cry of #GiveDivasAChance…A generational encounter with the promise of continuing the evolution of AEW’s own women’s division.

REINVENTION VS. REAFFIRMATION

The rise of AEW’s women’s division has been anything but linear. It began with promise in 2019, spotlighting talent like Riho and Nyla Rose. It continued with flashes of brilliance through the pandemic era, most notably the acclaimed U.S. vs. Japan Women’s Eliminator Tournament. Individuals like Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida, and Thunder Rosa helped build the scaffolding, delivering memorable moments such as the bloody, groundbreaking Lights Out match between Baker and Rosa or the insane Chicago Street Fight that pitted Willow Nightengale against Kris Statlander.

Talents like Julia Hart, Harley Cameron and Skye Blue inexplicably rose to popularity, a window into AEW’s future. They join Megan Bayne and Thekla as the latest impressive additions to bolster its roster. Veterans like Deonna Purrazzo and Serena Deeb serve as anchors – and these are just a few of the names that round out the division. Blake Monroe, the former Mariah May was one half of arguably AEW’s defining women’s feud and storyline. If I said AEW’s Women’s Division did not have depth, I would be disingenuous.

But possibility needs permanence. Enter Toni Storm and Mercedes Moné.

The last decade has seen women’s wrestling ascend from a sideshow to the undeniable spotlight, and both Moné and Storm have been architects of that revolution—each in radically different ways.

There is not much that needs to be said about Moné’s current influence on women’s wrestling that hasn’t already been documented. All I can say is the NXT feud between the former Sasha Banks and Bayley that lead to their groundbreaking NXT Takeover: Brooklyn match was some next level shit that had me pumping my fists. As a person of color, I felt that energy between Banks at Bianca Belair when they main evented Night 1 of WrestleMania 37 and when they delivered on top of that? Pride. That’s all I can say. IYKYK – one of the most emotional crescendos in WWE lore.

But Moné, driven by a desire for more than history, sought authorship over her own narrative. During her controversial and still debated exit from WWE in May 2022, it was clear she yearned for something that no longer existed within the structure that had raised her. And as Moné, she has become something rarer than a WWE main eventer: she is the living embodiment of female ownership in wrestling.

If Moné is Ownership, the 4x AEW Women’s Champ, Timeless Toni Storm is Empowerment. As the CEO was conquering the world collecting titles, Toni Storm sank into herself—and emerged reborn. Storm wasn’t supposed to be this. She was destined to be a reliable technician, a former WWE prospect with international chops, the 2018 Mae Young Classic winner, and a future champion, sure. But not the character. Not the undeniable presence she is today. Yet, here we are.

After struggling to gain traction during her WWE run—despite winning the 2018 MYC and the NXT UK Women’s Championship—Storm left in frustration, stepping away from the system much like Moné had. But AEW didn’t just offer her a new platform; it gave her permission to be weird, theatrical and lean into her deepest instincts.

Out came “Timeless” Toni Storm—a homage to Golden Age Hollywood noir fused with brutal athleticism. Equal parts Norma Desmond, Mae West and Goldust, this Hollywood Golden Era fever dream broke the mold without breaking mystique. Storm transformed herself not by chasing the fans, but by daring them to catch up. Grainy black-and-white vignettes, shrieking monologues, and a tragicomic descent into diva madness became a revelation.

Her third championship reign was where “Timeless” truly blossomed. After regaining it from Hikaru Shida at Full Gear 2023, she fully embodied the black-and-white, old-Hollywood diva. It was during this period that her partnership with Mariah May began, a two year storyline that became one of AEW’s most multifaceted narratives. What began as May’s obsessive fandom morphed into a complex relationship, oscillating between mentorship, idolization, manipulation, and eventually, a tragic, cinematic rivalry that culminated in a charged Hollywood Ending Match – showcasing AEW’s ability to create deep, three-dimensional feuds for its female performers.

Toni Storm’s cinematic descent into diva madness created not only AEW’s most fascinating female character but one of the most crazed and nuanced personas in all of modern wrestling. Her later title reigns, character work, and creative risks is quickly becoming the stuff of pro wrestling iconography.

For me. these are not just two wrestlers. They are storytellers. They’ve carried the burdens of expectations, broken the molds they were given, and shaped the narrative arcs that now define women’s wrestling in the past decade.

ART HOUSE VS. BLOCKBUSTER

Image Credit: AEW

Storm: If you want to ride the “Moné Train” through the “Toni Tunnel”, I hope you can get deep enough.
Moné: Your hips aren’t deep enough for the “Moné Train.”
Storm: Somewhere, a little girl with big dreams will watch us fight at All In and say, “Holy shit, these bitches are crazy!” Then she’ll find out who the better woman is. I sincerely believe you’re the greatest of all time, Mercedes. But unfortunately for you, I happen to be TIMELESS.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. While the AEW World Title match between Jon Moxley and “Hangman” Adam Page will undoubtedly deliver as the main event – the first time encounter between Moné vs. Storm encounter stands apart for me. Incredibly, even after the madness and hype surrounding Storm and May earlier this year, this will still be AEW’s biggest women’s match to date – arguably the most important women’s main events AEW can offer.

To some, Moné represents the modern standard—a fusion of athletic excellence, cultural clout, and crossover charisma despite her polarizing persona. To others, Storm is the wild card—the unfiltered, unpredictable, vintage fever dream who quotes Chaplin and brandishes high heels like daggers. Storm is pure performance – a proud LGBTQ+ character in pro wrestling that shouldn’t work because it is so loud, but the gimmick does…because she does.

Where Storm draws from the past to create myth, Moné engineers the future with precision. Together, they do not represent opposing forces. They represent parallel truths: that wrestling can be absurd and sincere, chaotic and calculated, legacy and revolution. And what a moment to be meeting now — at a time when women’s wrestling is free to do its own thing and be its own creative monster between the ropes.

CHARACTER VS. BRAND

I’ve seen some talk saying that AEW booked themselves into a corner with this match. How? The stakes are generational. If Moné wins, the headlines write themselves. She becomes the first woman to win major singles championships in WWE, NJPW, CMLL and AEW—something no one else has even attempted, let alone achieved. She is already the first woman to perform in Arena Mexico, Wembley Stadium, Madison Square Garden and the Tokyo Dome. I believe a win from the CEO would provide mainstream credibility to AEW’s women’s division.

But if Toni Storm retains, it’s a different kind of statement—one equally powerful. It affirms that AEW doesn’t just need stars from outside; it creates them. Storm, once dismissed, now commands her fourth World Title reign with brilliance and bite. Her victory would be the ultimate testament to AEW’s investment in long-term character work and layered storytelling—a homegrown triumph against a global superstar.

Either result redefines and shifts the narrative of women’s wrestling in AEW and North America. AEW has taken its share of criticism over the years regarding the booking of their women’s division – some valid, some not. But I feel in this instance AEW has got it right: this is showing the world what happens when you hand the brush to two artists and get the fuck out of the way. Plus, a rivalry like this certainly will not end without rematches.

I admit I view pro wrestling from a very strange lens. As much as I understand what is happening between Toni Storm and Mercedes Mone is a self-contained storyline in AEW, the excitement I have for this match comes from a place of just following the careers of both performers as a whole so this feels…somewhat bigger than just a “match” – if that makes sense. As a lifelong fan, the path to this match feels as intricate and satisfying as any slow-burn storyline. From Mercedes grappling in NXT as part of the Four Horsewomen and walking out to redefine herself, to Toni Storm going from can’t-miss WWE prospect, only to exit that same sports-entertainment machine to reinvent herself completely. It’s that intertwined connection we as fans have that blurs reality and fiction that makes pro wrestling so unique as an artform.

The build towards this match has been a feast – figuratively and literally. I believe we have had some very good promos (that last one from Storm to me is an all-timer), some intrigue with Mina Shirakawa’s involvement and that insane “sniff and whisper” moment and the feud is becoming more personal. When Storm declared that she is “not some other motherfucker”, it was a declaration that the Timeless one is not some trophy to be collected. Mercedes will have to take the title from her cold dead hands.

I am certain the two women are ready to hand out some major box office receipts. This is my most anticipated match of All In: Texas.

…And as always, Fuck Cancer. 🧬🩻🏥🩸
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Agree or disagree? Think I am insane? Leave a comment!

Follow me on Instagram!
Follow me on Bluesky!

Subscribe to 411Mania’s own Kat Bourne’s Wrestling Substack

SUPPORT THE CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY
SUPPORT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH
SUPPORT CANCER RESEARCH UK