Earlier this weekend, Mercedes Moné vacated the APAC Wrestling Women’s Championship after 140 days, explaining the promotion was unable to fly her out to Malaysia to defend the title. And now the promoter
Ayez Shaukat has issued a measured response to criticism in a social media statement, expressing genuine respect for the AEW star while firmly clarifying that his promotion had actively explored other options to facilitate a title defense.
“I do not blame her for this situation, and I appreciate the opportunity we had to work together. But the public narrative being pushed does not fully reflect what actually happened. We did try. We did explore working with other promotions, because that was what was asked of us. I personally reached out, followed up, and tried to make multiple scenarios work. For more context, I was even willing to go beyond our limits on my side. I openly said I would take on extra work and secure sponsors to try and bring Mercedes to Malaysia.” – Ayez Shaukat
Moné’s “Ultimo Mone” persona marked the glittering pinnacle of her ambitious Belt Collector era. Drawing inspiration from wrestling legend Ultimo Dragon, who once held ten titles simultaneously, she adopted the moniker after capturing an astonishing 14 championships across AEW, NJPW, CMLL, and various independent promotions. Portrayed as an unstoppable force hoarding gold from around the world, the gimmick generated significant buzz and visibility for smaller promotions but always divided fans over its long-term sustainability.
