Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Charlotte Flair, Mercedes Mone, and More

Charlotte Flair is the most decorated women's wrestler in WWE history and, despite a recent injury that will keep her out of action for a considerable amount of time, it looks as though The Queen will continue her Hall of Fame-worthy career with the company for the foreseeable future.

The latest on her contractual status with pro wrestling's most prominent company headlines this collection of rumors and innuendo and is joined by an update on Mercedes Mone's free agency, as well as an update on the Ilja Dragunov angle that concluded the most recent episode of NXT.

Charlotte Flair Contract Update

Charlotte Flair made headlines late last week with the revelation that she suffered a significant injury that would keep her out of action for up to nine months, as revealed on SmackDown.

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported this week that Flair tore her ACL, MCL, and meniscus in a match with Asuka on the special Tribute to the Troops edition of the Friday night show.

All is not negative on the Flair front, though, as Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select revealed that The Queen has re-signed with WWE. He wrote, "We've heard that it is a huge money increase over her last contract, and one of the highest-paid deals to a woman in WWE history. In addition, we're told that a travel bus was included in the deal, which are becoming increasingly more common among professional wrestlers."

Flair is among the top stars in WWE and one of the best to lace a pair of boots. It makes sense that WWE would want to extend their relationship with the second-generation star and ensure that she stays with the promotion for the foreseeable future.

Her absence now will only make the heart grow fonder and result in a more momentous return later in 2024.

Is it disappointing that she will miss WrestleMania in April? Most definitely, especially taking into consideration the Match of the Year candidate she had against Rhea Ripley at last year's show and how it helped elevate the show.

What is more important now, though, is that she heals up so that there can be many more classic encounters with her fellow Superstars as part of a contract that will keep her with the only promotion she has ever known.

Mercedes Mone's Asking Price Exceeds Flair's Deal

Shortly after the revelation that Flair re-signed with WWE, Sapp reported an update on Mercedes Mone and her free agency.

Mone is, arguably, the hottest free agent in wrestling. She is a legitimate star and someone can sit in the stands at a major pay-per-view such as All In and generate incredible social media buzz.

She knows her value and is commanding it, and rightfully so.

If New Japan Pro-Wrestling, AEW, or WWE want to get her signed on the dotted line, they will pony up the cash and make it happen. Considering she has had mainstream success with her role on the Disney+ hit The Mandalorian, she has some added leverage, too.

Mone left WWE in May of 2022 when she felt as though the company was not appropriately valuing the women's tag team division, let alone her and partner Naomi, and last competed for Stardom before suffering an injury in a match with Willow Nightingale.

The Legit Boss rose to fame in NXT under Triple H, who helped champion the women's revolution and was responsible for booking her, Bayley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair in high-profile, high-stakes matches that opened the eyes of fans to the potential for women to headline major events.

It would not be surprising at all for that previous relationship to factor heavily into Mone's decision to return to WWE, if that should be what ultimately happens. AEW figures to be in the Mone sweepstakes as her star power would go a long way in bolstering its women's division.

As Sapp stated in an earlier report, "At the time in which Mercedes appeared at AEW All In as a part of the audience, AEW sources had indicated there was a tentative plan for the two sides to work together when she was no longer injured. At the beginning of December, we were told that those plans were no longer active, and the two sides were far apart on terms. It was not indicated to us if that pertained to dates, schedule, financial terms, or booking."

It will be interesting to see what shape the bidding war for Mone takes as 2023 comes to an end and the new year dawns.

Latest on Ilja Dragunov Injury Angle

The December 19 episode of NXT ended with the brand's champion, Ilja Dragunov, being stretchered out of the building following a suplex by Ridge Holland. It was, indeed, an angle and the champion is fine, but it was not without its controversy.

Fightful Select's Sapp and Corey Brennan reported that the brand went through with the creative decision despite the controversy and that the fans in attendance were aware of it being an angle because "they quickly announced the next show was starting."

The controversy stems mostly from the fact that it was Holland who was involved in the ill-fated overhead suplex that broke Big E's neck in 2022 and left his career in doubt.

Time will tell what the storyline looks like moving forward but surely there were better, and less questionable, means of getting to a Holland vs. Dragunov feud.