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Mercedes Moné beat Kris Statlander via pinfall at AEW Full Gear on Saturday to retain the TBS Championship.
Moné controlled most of the match despite Statlander’s desperate last-minute efforts to stay in it. Reaching her breaking point, Moné targeted Statlander’s injured leg with a bite, gaining the advantage to whip her into the ropes and secure a roll-up pin for the win.
The rivalry between Moné and Statlander began last month after Statlander split with Stokely Hathaway and turned face following a victory over Willow Nightingale at All Out.
On the Oct. 4 episode of Rampage, Statlander had a backstage confrontation with Mercedes and Kamille, which saw Kamille stare her down and bump into her before The CEO called Statlander a b—h.
That led to a match between Statlander ands Kamille on the Fright Night edition of Dynamite on Oct. 30. Statlander was victorious, but Mercedes made a statement by laying her out after the match and posing with the TBS title.
Despite Moné getting the last laugh on that occasion, the win over Kamille was enough to make Statlander the No. 1 contender and earn her a TBS title shot at Full Gear.
Mercedes didn’t seem to be sweating Statlander at first, but the challenger made her status as a threat quite apparent on the Nov. 13 episode of Dynamite.
While Mercedes and Kamille were having a backstage discussion about her, Statlander showed up and attacked them, spearing both of them through a wall.
With that, Moné’s title reign appeared to be in real danger for the first time since she won it from Nightingale at Double or Nothing in May.
Statlander already proved in the past that she knew what it took to become TBS champion, as she beat Jade Cargill for the title at Double or Nothing 2023, ending Cargill’s record 508-day reign.
She looked to pull off a similar feat against another top-tier foe in Mercedes, but Statlander was unable to prevail and become the first-ever two-time TBS champion at Full Gear.
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