The Blueprint, The Boss, The CEO, Ultimo Mone
Mercedes Mone, born Mercedes Kaestner-Varnado on January 26, 1992, in Fairfield, California, has carved a legendary path in professional wrestling over a 15-year career. Standing at 5'4" and weighing 114 pounds, her physical stature belies an outsized impact on the industry. Raised in Northern California’s Bay Area, Mone’s journey began in 2009, blending athleticism, charisma, and technical prowess to become one of the most respected figures in the business.
Her early career saw her hone her craft in independent promotions, where she quickly gained attention for her relentless work ethic and innovative style. A move to WWE in the mid-2010s catapulted her into the mainstream, where she thrived as Sasha Banks, a five-time Raw Women’s Champion and one-half of the iconic WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions with Bayley. However, her 2022 departure from WWE marked a pivotal shift. Rebranding as Mercedes Mone, she signed with AEW in 2023, immediately injecting star power into the promotion’s women’s division.
Known by monikers such as “The Blueprint,” “The Boss,” and “Ultimo Mone,” she embodies a strategic, dominant persona, often framing her matches as masterclasses in execution. Her AEW arrival was met with immense anticipation, and despite setbacks—including a torn ACL sustained in 2023—she has remained a cornerstone of the roster, blending veteran leadership with a hunger for reinvention.
Classified as an allrounder, Mercedes Mone excels at blending technical precision, aerial agility, and psychological manipulation. Her style is defined by adaptability: she can counter a power wrestler’s brute strength with a lightning-fast reversal, dismantle a high-flyer’s offense with stiff strikes, or methodically wear down an opponent with submission holds. This versatility has allowed her to maintain relevance across evolving eras of women’s wrestling.
Her signature moveset is a testament to her strategic mind:
- Bank Statement (Backstabber into Crossface): A hybrid move that transitions seamlessly from a surprise backstabber knee lift into a seated crossface. It epitomizes her ability to chain offense while emphasizing control.
- Bankrupt (Straight-Jacket Neckbreaker): A high-impact, counter-based maneuver where she traps an opponent’s arms before launching into a neckbreaker, often used to punish reckless offense.
- Monémaker (Gory Bomb into DDT): A devastating double-team of a spinning powerbomb (gory bomb) into a DDT, reserved for finishing sequences.
What sets Mone apart is her mastery of pacing. She treats matches like chess games, using feints, calculated pauses, and psychological mind games to frustrate opponents. Her 58.8% overall win rate underscores her consistency, while her 80% win rate over her last 20 matches suggests she’s peaking in her ability to close matches decisively.
Mone’s 1032-match career (607 wins, 406 losses, 19 draws) paints a picture of longevity and resilience. Her 58.8% overall win rate is impressive for a wrestler with her experience level, though her PPV performance (43.8%) lags behind her TV success (51.9%). This gap highlights a recurring theme: while she thrives in weekly storytelling, she often shoulders the burden of elevating opponents in premium live events.
Breaking down her recent form:
- Last 5 matches: 40% win rate (2 wins, 3 losses)
- Last 10 matches: 70% win rate (7 wins, 3 losses)
- Last 20 matches: 80% win rate (16 wins, 4 losses)
This trajectory reveals a wrestler regaining momentum after a rocky patch. Her 7-3 record in her last 10 matches includes victories over rising stars like Alex Windsor and Leila Grey, as well as veteran Riho. However, losses to Willow Nightingale (Dec 31, 2025) and Kris Statlander (Nov 22, 2025) hint at vulnerabilities against power-based styles.
Notably, Mone’s 15-year career has seen her face nearly every top name in the sport. Her 73 matches against Charlotte Flair (36-37 record) and 25 matches against Becky Lynch (15-10) underscore her role as a litmus test for elite talent.
Mone’s career has been defined by intense rivalries, many of which have shaped the modern women’s division:
- Charlotte Flair (36-37): Their 73-match rivalry is one of the most storied in wrestling history. Though nearly split evenly, Mone’s ability to trade wins with Flair—often in matches praised for technical brilliance—cements her as a peer to the “Queen.”
- Becky Lynch (15-10): Mone holds a narrow edge over “The Man,” including a memorable victory on AEW Collision in 2024 that reignited her push. These matches often hinge on unrelenting strikes and submission battles.
- Bayley (14-14): Their friendship-turned-rivalry has produced chaotic, emotionally charged matches, including a brutal No DQ bout in AEW in 2024 that ended in a draw.
- Alexa Bliss (12-15): Mone struggles against Bliss’s mind games, though she’s secured key wins in televised squash matches designed to showcase her dominance.
The data reveals Mone performs best against Becky Lynch and Nattie (5-3), while her 4-5 record against Nia Jax suggests difficulty countering elite powerhouses.
Mone’s last 10 matches (L-L-W-L-W-W-W-W-W-W) reflect a wrestler rediscovering her footing. After losses to Willow Nightingale (Dec 31, 2025) and Alex Windsor (Dec 6, 2025), she rattled off five consecutive wins, including a statement victory over Mina Shirakawa (Oct 18, 2025) and a squash match against Unknown (Oct 29, 2025). This surge aligns with AEW booking her as a transitional challenger for the TBS Championship, setting the stage for a 2026 title run.
Her 70% win rate over the last 10 matches contrasts sharply with her 40% in the prior 5, indicating a deliberate push. Notably, her 80% win rate over the last 20 matches suggests she’s being positioned as a consistent main-event player. Analysts attribute this to her improved in-ring synergy with AEW’s junior-heavy roster, particularly after her feud with Kris Statlander pushed her to embrace high-flying counters.
Mone’s 43.8% PPV win rate versus her 51.9% TV win rate reveals a wrestler whose value extends beyond winning. At premium events, she frequently shoulders the responsibility of making opponents look strong—a trend seen in her losses to Nia Jax and Willow Nightingale, both of whom were mid-push. Conversely, her TV matches often feature shorter, crisper storytelling that highlights her technical excellence, such as her 10-minute clinic against Leila Grey on Dynamite in September 2025.
Interestingly, her recent PPV results buck this trend: she’s 3-2 in her last five pay-per-view matches, including a win over Riho at Full Gear 2025. This uptick may signal AEW’s confidence in her as a big-match performer, though her historical data suggests she remains more reliable in weekly programming.
MoneyLine Wrestling’s AI model identifies three key factors driving Mone’s future performance:
1. Recent Surge: Her 80% win rate over the last 20 matches strongly correlates with positive booking direction. The model projects an 85% probability of victory in matches against mid-tier opponents (e.g., Jamie Hayter, Skye Blue).
2. Style Synergy: As an allrounder, she holds advantages against high-flyers (e.g., Lio Rush) and technical wrestlers (e.g., Konosuke Takeshita). However, the model flags power specialists (e.g., Nia Jax, Willow Nightingale) as unfavorable matchups, citing her 4-5 record against Jax.
3. PPV Limitations: Despite her late-career improvement, the model predicts only a 40% chance of winning world title matches at PPVs, citing her 43.8% historic rate and current role as a transitional contender.
Looking ahead, the AI suggests Mone is likely to challenge for the TBS Championship in Q1 2026, with Maya C as her most probable opponent. Her 70% recent win rate and 80% over the last 20 indicate she’s capable of a sustained title reign—if booked decisively.
Mercedes Mone’s career is a study in resilience and reinvention. With her combination of technical mastery, psychological acumen, and a moveset designed to demoralize opponents, she remains a linchpin of AEW’s women’s division. While her PPV struggles persist, her recent momentum—and the AI’s bullish projection—suggests “The CEO” isn’t done building her empire.
| Opponent | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Flair | 73 | 36 | 37 | 0 | 49% |
| Bayley | 28 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 50% |
| Alexa Bliss | 27 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 44% |
| Becky Lynch | 25 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 60% |
| Nia Jax | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 44% |
| Nattie | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 62% |
| Asuka | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40% |
| Date | Result | Opponent | Finish | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-31 | Loss | Willow Nightingale | — | — |
| 2025-12-17 | Loss | Alex Windsor | — | — |
| 2025-12-06 | Win | Leila Grey | — | — |
| 2025-11-22 | Loss | Kris Statlander | — | — |
| 2025-11-19 | Win | Red Velvet | — | — |
| 2025-10-29 | Win | Unknown | — | — |
| 2025-10-18 | Win | Mina Shirakawa | — | — |
| 2025-10-07 | Win | Lacey Lane | — | — |
| 2025-09-20 | Win | Riho | — | — |
| 2025-09-03 | Win | Alex Windsor | — | — |