Last week, Mercedes Mone made her All Elite Wrestling debut at AEW Big Business in Boston, Massachusetts. Mone said that she has a history with Willow Nightingale and also has unfinished business with her. However, she saved Nightingale from Julia Hart and Skye Blue’s attack in the main event.
Many fans thought Mercedes Mone would be able to get more eyes on the product. Although the March 13th episode of AEW Dynamite drew an average of 798,000 viewers with a 0.27 in the 18-49 demo, an increase of 19,000 viewers from the previous episode (March 6).
On his 83 Weeks podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff discussed the AEW Big Business low viewership.
“Same thing here with Mercedes [Mone]. I mean, 800,000 viewers on the show where you’re bringing in arguably one of the more recognizable female stars in the wrestling industry? Who spent? I don’t know how, many years. A decade at a high-profile position within the largest wrestling company in the world. And you bring her into AEW, and you get 800,000 viewers? And I know — you know, Dave Meltzer immediately went, ‘Well, they didn’t advertise her, that’s why.’ Bullsh-t, who are you kidding? If there was anybody who was a wrestling fan or a fan of AEW who didn’t know that Mercedes was going to make her debut in Boston? Then I don’t know what to tell you.
If people like Dave want to believe that, there’s nothing that I’m going to say that’s going to change anything for them because they’re stuck in a rut, in a small way of thinking, and nothing is ever going to change for them. But the numbers don’t lie. 800,000 viewers for Mercedes Mone? I don’t know. And I know everybody’s all, ‘Well, wait till next week, now that everybody knows!’ I have news for you, folks. If that number moves 3% to 5% either way, plus or minus, I’ll be surprised. I’ve said I said it six months ago when the rumors started floating around about Mercedes going to AEW. And the question was, ‘Oh, do you think you’ll have any impact?’ And my answer was, ‘No, it won’t’. Just like no one else that’s come from WWE has made an impact on the ratings.”