Mercedes Moné’s recent stretch of championship losses continued over the weekend, as the former multi-title holder dropped yet another belt during an international appearance.
On Sunday, Moné lost the BestYa Wrestling Women’s Championship to Swan at the Mone Mayhem event in Bagnolo Cremasco, Italy. The loss came just two days after she was defeated by Persephone for the CMLL World Women’s Championship on Friday night.
The defeat marks Moné’s second title loss in the span of a single weekend, adding to what has become a surprising downward run for the decorated star.
In fact, the latest setback means Moné has now dropped five different championships since December 20, 2025, a stark contrast to the dominant run she had previously enjoyed across multiple promotions.
Moné had built a reputation as one of the most successful traveling champions in the business, collecting titles around the world during her run outside WWE. However, the recent streak of losses suggests that chapter may be coming to an end as several promotions crown new champions.
Despite the skid, Moné remains one of the most recognizable names in women’s wrestling globally, and it will be interesting to see whether she rebounds quickly or shifts her focus toward new opportunities moving forward.
AEW delivered a major surprise on Wednesday night as former NJPW standout David Finlay officially arrived in the company during AEW Dynamite.
The moment came shortly after Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy picked up a tag team victory over Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors. Cassidy sealed the win by pinning Connors following his signature Orange Punch, but the celebration didn’t last long.
Out of nowhere, Finlay stormed the ring and attacked Allin and Cassidy from behind, turning the post-match scene into a chaotic three-on-two assault. Kidd and Connors quickly joined in, and the trio stood tall to close the segment, signaling the reunion of Finlay with his former War Dogs allies.
Not long after the segment aired, AEW President Tony Khanconfirmed the signing on social media with an official “All Elite” graphic, announcing that Finlay, Kidd, and Connors will now compete in AEW together under the name “The Dogs.”
Khan wrote that the trio made their presence known on Dynamite and that the faction is now officially part of the AEW roster.
Finlay’s NJPW Era Comes to an End
Finlay’s arrival in AEW follows the conclusion of his lengthy run with New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he spent over a decade competing and eventually rose to become the final lineal leader of the Bullet Club faction originally founded by Finn Bálor in 2013.
His contract with NJPW expired in February, immediately sparking speculation about where the second-generation star would land next.
Multiple Promotions Interested
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Finlay explored several options before signing with AEW. Discussions reportedly took place with WWE, TNA, and AEW before the final decision was made.
Meltzer noted that AEW ultimately presented the strongest offer financially and in terms of interest.
There had been speculation that Finlay might end up in WWE, especially given reports that NXT’s “Birthright” stable—a group built around second-generation wrestlers—could have been a natural landing spot for him. However, the deal never materialized.
Instead, Finlay opted for AEW, signing what’s believed to be a multi-year contract. The move also aligns with his reported interest in relocating to the United States after spending 11 years competing primarily in Japan.
The Dogs Arrive in AEW
With Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors already appearing regularly on AEW programming in recent weeks, Finlay’s debut instantly solidifies the group as a new force within the promotion.
Now rebranded as The Dogs, the trio wasted no time making an impact on Dynamite, and their attack on Allin and Cassidy suggests that AEW’s tag team and trios divisions may have a dangerous new faction to deal with moving forward. 🐶🔥
Finlay’s debut marks one of AEW’s more unexpected signings in recent months—and it could be the beginning of a major new chapter for the former Bullet Club leader.
Wrestling fans can now take a deep dive into the life and legacy of one of the industry’s most polarizing and influential figures — for free.
The Jeff Jarrett Story: Heart of a Promoter is officially available to stream on YouTube, giving viewers an in-depth look at Jarrett’s Hall of Fame career both inside the ring and behind the scenes as a wrestling executive.
The special chronicles far more than just Jarrett’s time as a multi-time world champion. Alongside longtime collaborator Conrad Thompson, the self-proclaimed “King of the Mountain” reflects on his family’s deep-rooted history in the wrestling business — a lineage that dates back to 1946. From Memphis territory days to the national expansion era, the Jarrett name has been intertwined with the evolution of sports entertainment for decades.
Of course, a major focus of the documentary centers on Jarrett’s bold moves as a promoter. That includes the founding of NWA Total Nonstop Action (TNA) as well as his later venture, Global Force Wrestling. The project explores the risks, setbacks, and perseverance required to launch and sustain wrestling promotions in an industry dominated by larger corporate entities.
In addition to revisiting his past, Jarrett remains active in today’s wrestling landscape. He hosts the popular My World with Jeff Jarrett podcast alongside Thompson, where he regularly shares behind-the-scenes stories from throughout his career. Jarrett also currently serves as AEW’s Director of Business Development, playing a key role in expanding the company’s partnerships and strategic opportunities.
For fans interested in wrestling history — especially the business side of the industry — Heart of a Promoter offers a comprehensive look at one of the most resilient figures the business has produced.
AEW currently has multiple agreements tied to WBD platforms, including television rights on TNT and TBS, along with streaming, library, and pay-per-view distribution through HBO Max. On top of that, it was recently confirmed that WBD also holds a minority ownership stake in AEW — a detail that adds another layer of intrigue to the pending acquisition.
According to Dave Meltzer, that ownership piece may actually be the most straightforward part of the equation.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer explained that if Paramount completes its acquisition of WBD, it would automatically assume control of all WBD assets — including its minority stake in AEW. In other words, Paramount would become a part-owner of AEW.
“The situation here is number one, Paramount will own a percentage, a very small percentage, but they’ll own a percentage of AEW,” Meltzer said. “Because WBD has an ownership stake. And that will be transferred to Paramount. So they’ll own part of the company.”
While that may sound significant on paper, Meltzer indicated the immediate impact may be minimal — and potentially even positive. If AEW remains profitable, as Meltzer claims it currently is, there would be little incentive for Paramount to make drastic changes.
He noted that if AEW were hemorrhaging money, the scenario could look very different. But without substantial losses on the books, a minority stake in a profitable wrestling promotion could be viewed as a worthwhile asset for Paramount to maintain.
Of course, there are still plenty of moving parts. The acquisition is not fully complete, and media mergers of this scale often bring restructuring and strategic shifts. Questions remain about AEW’s long-term future on TNT, TBS, and HBO Max under new ownership, as well as whether Paramount could eventually look to integrate AEW content into its own streaming ecosystem.
For now, though, the key takeaway is simple: if the deal goes through, Paramount won’t just be AEW’s broadcast partner — it will technically be part of the company’s ownership group as well.
As always in the ever-evolving world of media rights and pro wrestling, the real answers will come once the paperwork is finalized and the dust truly settles.
A new report suggests that Lady Frost’s time with All Elite Wrestling may be coming to an end.
According to Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp, Frost’s AEW contract is scheduled to expire on April 1. As it stands, she is expected to become a free agent at that time unless a new agreement is reached. There has been no indication of any specific circumstances surrounding her reported departure, only that her current deal is nearing its end.
Frost has not been a consistent presence on AEW programming in recent months. She last competed on AEW television on the January 10 episode of AEW Collision, where she came up short against Mina Shirakawa. Prior to that, her most recent AEW/ROH appearance took place on the July 11 episode of ROH TV, where she was defeated by Diamante.
Despite limited television exposure, Frost has remained active outside of AEW. She continues to work the independent circuit and most recently picked up a victory over Dani Mo at a Greektown Pro Wrestling event on February 15.
Frost previously revealed in 2024 that she had been under contract with AEW since 2023. Before joining the company, she spent time in TNA from 2021 to 2022 before requesting her release. She also had a brief WWE appearance in 2018, facing Asuka in a short match.
With her contract reportedly expiring in just a few weeks, it remains to be seen whether AEW will look to retain Frost or if she’ll test the waters as a free agent this spring. Either way, April 1 could mark the start of a new chapter in her career.
Just days before the 2026 New Japan Cup gets underway, New Japan Pro Wrestling has confirmed that Tomohiro Ishii will no longer be part of the tournament field.
NJPW announced on its official website that the “Stone Pitbull” has been sidelined with a neck injury, forcing him to withdraw from the 24-man tournament set to kick off on March 4. The promotion issued an apology to fans who were looking forward to seeing Ishii compete in this year’s Cup, especially given the high stakes involved.
The winner of the New Japan Cup will earn a shot at Yota Tsuji’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on April 4. For Ishii, this year represented another opportunity to finally capture a tournament that has eluded him throughout his storied career. Despite several deep runs — including semifinal appearances in 2017 and 2019 — Ishii has never managed to win the Cup.
With Ishii out, NJPW has tabbed a veteran replacement: former two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima. Kojima will step directly into Ishii’s position in the bracket. Since Ishii had previously received one of eight random byes into the second round, Kojima will now face the winner of the first-round bout between Taichi and Ren Narita.
As of now, NJPW has not clarified how or when Ishii sustained the neck injury. His most recent match took place on February 27 at The New Beginning USA, where he dropped the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship to Boltin Oleg. There were no reported issues coming out of that match, but given the physical nature of the contest, it stands as the most likely point where the injury may have occurred.
Interestingly, Ishii also appeared on the February 28 episode of AEW Collision against Andrade El Idolo. However, that match was taped on February 25 — prior to his loss to Oleg — meaning it would not have been affected by the injury in question.
This latest setback comes shortly after what initially appeared to be another scare. During the February 18 episode of AEW Dynamite, Ishii looked to have suffered a potentially serious hamstring injury while teaming with Orange Cassidy against Clark Connors and Gabe Kidd. Fortunately, that issue turned out to be far less severe than initially feared.
Now, though, it’s a neck injury that has put Ishii on the shelf at a critical point in the calendar. With Sakura Genesis looming and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship picture set to shift following the Cup, Ishii’s absence is a significant blow to both the tournament and fans who were hoping 2026 might finally be his year.
We’ll continue to monitor Ishii’s status and provide updates as more information becomes available.
The media landscape shifted dramatically last week, and the ripple effects could eventually reach All Elite Wrestling.
After initially agreeing to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix reportedly backed out of its deal, opening the door for Paramount Skydance to step in and secure the purchase instead. While the full scope of the WBD/Paramount merger is still unfolding, wrestling fans are already zeroing in on one major question: how will this impact AEW when its next media rights negotiations roll around in 2027 or 2028?
For now, AEW’s immediate future appears stable. The promotion’s library content and pay-per-view events currently live on HBO Max, giving the company a premium streaming home. But comments from Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison suggest that change could be coming to the platform itself.
During a recent investor call covered by Variety, Ellison outlined early plans for the newly combined media giant. While he emphasized that certain brands — including HBO — would remain creatively independent, he confirmed there are long-term intentions to merge HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single streaming service.
Ellison noted that the two platforms together account for more than 200 million direct-to-consumer subscribers, positioning the company to compete more aggressively with the top players in the streaming space. He also referenced Paramount’s recent internal consolidation of its own services into a unified tech infrastructure, hinting that a similar strategy would eventually be applied to HBO Max.
In short, one mega-streamer could be on the horizon.
So what does that mean for AEW?
At the moment, nothing changes. AEW programming and pay-per-views remain accessible through HBO Max, and there’s been no indication of any immediate shift in content distribution. However, if and when the streaming platforms merge, AEW content would presumably migrate to the unified service.
The bigger question lies further down the road. With the media rights deal cycle approaching in the next few years, AEW’s leverage and negotiating landscape could look very different under a newly consolidated corporate structure. A larger, combined streaming entity might provide greater distribution and visibility. On the flip side, corporate restructuring often brings cost evaluations and strategic pivots.
For now, fans can breathe easy — AEW’s streaming home isn’t going anywhere overnight. But with Paramount Skydance now steering the ship and a streaming merger on the horizon, the long-term picture is one to watch closely.
As the media world continues to evolve, AEW’s place within it could become one of the more intriguing business stories in professional wrestling.
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