AEW Eyes Next Challengers For Mercedes Monè After WrestleDream

Mercedes Monè walked out of AEW WrestleDream 2026 still holding the AEW Women’s World Championship after turning back Thekla, continuing a reign that has already included a win over Queen Aminata. But the manner of the victory — Monè resorting to her protective mask to gain a late advantage over “The Toxic Spider” — has left the door open for a rematch, and it’s far from the only option on the table for The CEO’s next defense.

Thekla herself has a strong case. The finish at WrestleDream felt more like a statement than a definitive answer, and there’s plenty of unexplored chemistry between the two if AEW wants to keep building that program.

Then there’s Persephone, who enters the conversation with serious momentum. She’s currently a double champion, holding the AEW TBS Championship alongside the CMLL World Women’s Championship — a title she won earlier this year by beating Monè herself. That history, combined with her rising stock across two promotions, makes her one of the more natural threats to Monè’s reign whenever AEW wants to pull the trigger.

Athena remains an intriguing name as well. She and Monè have shared a complicated history in AEW, from a tournament-advancing win for Monè at Spring Break Thru 2025 to an ill-fated tag team pairing undone by clashing egos. With her ROH Women’s World Championship reign now well past the 1,400-day mark, Athena has nothing left to prove in that title picture — a crack at Monè’s AEW gold would be a fresh mountain to climb.

Willow Nightingale might have the most obvious claim of all. Monè won the AEW Women’s World Championship by beating Nightingale at All In London 2026, a victory that evened their head-to-head record at 2-2 across four matches — but one that came with Monè suffering a broken nose in the process. That kind of history practically writes its own sequel, and a fifth match between the two has the look of a pay-per-view main event waiting to happen.

Finally, there’s Marina Shafir, whose arc has quietly shifted since the passing of her friend and Death Riders stablemate PAC. Shafir has taken on a more assertive role within the faction, and she got a notable win over Monè at the September 30 Tribute to PAC episode of Dynamite, teaming with Thunder Rosa and Hyan to beat Monè, Britt Baker and Persephone in trios action.

None of these names are confirmed as Monè’s next official challenger, but each represents a logical next step for a title picture that’s been one of AEW’s most consistently compelling stories. With Persephone, Athena, Willow and Shafir all carrying real storyline weight into the fall, and Thekla potentially still owed a measure of payback, AEW has no shortage of directions to take The CEO’s reign. The only question now is which rivalry the company decides to prioritize first.