In a 35-minute interview with HOT 97 in New York, AEW TBS and NJPW Strong Women’s champion Mercedes Mone said that Tony Khan saw her as “the best women’s wrestler of all time.”

Mone said she’s thankful for AEW and for “such a beautiful boss and leader” in Tony Khan who saw her for who she is – the best of all time.

“He worked endless amount of years to try to get me and to get me down. He finally got me,” Mone said. “The numbers were right, the conversations were right, the alignment was right, and the goals were aligned. That’s the biggest thing.”

The champ champ revealed that signing a big money deal wasn’t just about her, but for her family too. She said she financially supports her special needs brother and her mother and spent nearly two years without a stable income, although she did have a stream of income from other opportunities.

“I wanted the goals of what his mission was for AEW and the women’s wrestling in AEW. And I wanted him to know how much I care and how much I want to bring to women’s wrestling here in AEW. And the alignment was just there,” she continued. “And now here we are making magic!”

Talking about walking away from WWE in May 2022, Mone said that something did not feel right that day and the way she and Naomi were talked to, “didn’t settle in my heart.”

She said that if she didn’t take control of her life right there, she was not going to be happy by having someone talk to her like that and make her feel like she doesn’t belong.

Mone added that she loves WWE and it was always her dream to wrestle there but it was time to walk away.