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Episode Transcript
Welcome to the Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You'll play for all things and exclusive interviews with some
of your favorite wrestlers.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Bound podcast stop here.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
What's up you guys?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Welcome back in j iHeartRadio's official wrestling podcast, The Battleground Podcast.
Ae W is taken over everywhere. Uh this week, they're
gonna be in Providence, They're gonna be in Bridgeport and
you can grab tickets. Oh yeah, in Manchester as well.
Grab your tickets all Elite wrestling dot com. Today on
the show, I said that I wasn't going to do this,
(00:46):
but I have to do it. We've got the c
e oh, I'll see, I'll see, come on to you.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I see.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
We have got Mercedes Money with us, and of course
he always has to wear a shirt with some on
our show.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Now, thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Before we get into this, I want to ask money
or money? Can you set it straight for the Rednecks?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Monday Monday. We're making Monday Monday.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
So there we go. We now have it established, because
I know I've seen stuff online where they're like, oh,
Mercedes Money, Mercedes Monday. So I want to hear it
straight from her. So it is Monday. So there you go. Everybody,
on the internet.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
But everybody has an accent, so it's just it's however
you say it. But just knowing, I'm trying to say money,
you're making Monday? What is Monday?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yes? And you need to spend your Monday on all
these AW tickets next week? Ye grab them right now.
So let's just jump right into it. First of all,
it's an honor to have you on the show, so
welcome in. How would you sum up so far your
your tenure in AEW thus far?
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Oh, I mean my first what seven months? It's been amazing.
I mean, look at this behind you. Each title has
its own locker room. It's it's a thing. It's been
the best so far, and the best I've ever felt
in my career, having these matches and opportunity and just
the chance to keep on growing and going and having
(02:15):
these new dreams and living old dreams. My biggest dream
was to be in Japan, and now I am a
new Japan Strong Women's Champion. It's been the best so
far in a w because this is where the best
wrestle and AW make sure that I still have this
really competitive fire in me and like I still want
to be the absolute best and I feel like I'm
(02:38):
just getting started.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Really Yeah, absolutely for sure.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Sorry I didn't know. Yeah, sorry. So recently we saw
a k new face become all elite. That would be
Camille incredible athlete, former long running ndba's Women's World champion.
Were you ware her body of work previously and what
does her presence do for your status within the company?
Speaker 1 (03:07):
I mean, why do you think I made her come
to Money Corporation? Because she is the brick house, because
she is so strong, she is so athletic, she is
so beautiful, she is just amazing as this protector, this bodyguard,
this just this powerhouse that I need. And I'm super
excited to watch her versus Chris Statlander tonight and just
(03:31):
her by my side, I really feel unstoppable.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yeah, definitely, because we were there the night she debuted.
I believe it was in Nashville, and it was kind
of a homecoming because she's from she's from the area,
and we were super excited and I was like, you
couldn't have picked a better person to pair Camille with,
and Mercedes picking it just the perfect person. Now, you
mentioned you bring her in to your corporation. Is there
(03:56):
any other opportunities to bring other people in. We've seen
MV trying to bring people into his group over here.
Could Mercedes try to bring MVP and Shelton Benjamin to
the Monday Corporation.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Or I mean, there's always an opportunity to make Monday
And ever since I came to AW money has just
gone up. And I know there is a list of
women who are just dying to just even be around
my presence. I mean, I'm in my locker room right
now and I have a security guard out there, and
there is a line. Okay, I have to be like,
excuse me, Wait, I have to talk to you guys first. Yes,
(04:29):
there's there's always an opportunity to make money, but I'm
very busy.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Okay, just wait, So you just have to put an
application and wait for you to call them back, right.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
I gotta I gotta watch you do some stuff first.
I gotta see you. I gotta see you. I gotta
see what you got.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah, that's a solid, solid way. So hey, uh, if
you want to try to be a part of the
Monday Corporation, you gotta show some tapes out there for
Mercedes to see and then she'll decide whether or not
if you're a part of the group or not. Uh,
you know one thing that that's that's really awesome And
we had the chance to catch up with Willow here
recently we talked about the women's division AW how it
(05:06):
has evolved ever since the beginning of AW two. Now,
should ae W do the unthinkable and create a women's
only AW weekly show? Is that something that you would
like to push for?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Wow, a weekly show? Absolutely, I mean, we have the talent,
so why not all elite women wrestling? There you go,
we have the best women's wrestler at wrestling and from
a Willow, Mariah May, Tony Storm, Serena deeb, Chris Statlander, Camille,
(05:40):
there is definitely an opportunity to have an all women's
show every single week. So I don't see why not.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Well, jumping off that you were also instrumental and part
of the Evolution pay per view few years back, why
would AW be the perfect home for another all women's
pay per view now, either twenty four or twenty five
and sometime in the future.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Because we have the best women's wrestlers, We have a
roster full of wrestler, we have a long list of
women that we can have an all women's pay per view.
So I think just giving them the chance an opportunity,
and if Tony sees that, I don't see why not
we can have a woman's revolution here in AW. It's
it's happening already. The women have just been killing it
(06:26):
out of the park every single week. I am just
beyond amazed to be a part of this women's division.
From Willow and Chris Statland are in that street by alone,
I was just like wow, and then Willow and Mariah May.
It's just it's been so amazing. And yeah, I think
a woman's all woman's pay per view here would be incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah, it would probably make money.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
It definitely a lot.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
I see what I see what you did there, Eli,
I see what you did there. Of course, AEW is
in all kinds of great places come up here. You
look at it. They're going to be in Manchester, Providence
Bridgeports again. Alli, really wrestling dot Com, aew ticks dot Com.
That's ti X if you want to shorten things up
a little bit. But you know something that we've seen
(07:13):
a lot of recently when it comes to talking with
the creative process in AW, it seems like Tony's a
lot more approachable than in other places that we've talked
to other people that have gone from there to aew,
how has that been like for you going from one
creative process over here to going to the creative process
(07:33):
over here with AW.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
That's been awesome. It's been so awesome. But still sometimes,
like we I sometimes still don't know what I'm doing
a week to week because a Tony is so busy.
But once I get here, he's so easy to talk
to and if I don't like a certain thing, we
(07:55):
can make something work. And he's just very open to
creating and he loves creating. For AW, it's been amazing
so far.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Yeah, for sure, And you could tell just by watching
the product my memory banks.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
I haven't talked to many billionaires.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
But you're talking to a billionaire right now. You've got
Mercedes over here.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
But yeah, I was just I just gonna say, I
haven't talked to many billionaires, but Tony was definitely very awesome.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Yeah, he's Oh my god. I get to learn from
him every single week, and just how he gets to
treat people alone legit, leaving the arena, He'll say bye
to every single worker that's working backstage. He is just
the most amazing person ever, and just him as a
boss alone, it's just it's just great. And you can
see that when you watch AW. It's just the best
company ever and the best wrestlers just want to be
(08:49):
here mm hm.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
And you could tell that each and every week when
you watch an AW show, whether it's Dynamite, collision, rampage,
whatever it is, you could tell that everybody is there
to help out the person and it doesn't seem like
it's one of those places where they're only out for themselves.
Of course, you and Jake Cargill literally cross paths on
the way into new companies, thus preventing a dream match
(09:11):
that everybody in the IWC was hoping for. Have you
two spoken since your debuts and are you optimistic that
maybe one day down the line there could be a
match between you still in the cards.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
I mean, you never know in wrestling, And no, I
never crossed paths with her, but I've every single autograph
signing that I've been to before I even came to AW.
So many fans were like, I hope you get to
wrestle Jade. I want you to wrestle Jade. I'm like,
all right, and then I came to AW and then
she went to the other place. But you never know.
(09:45):
There's a lot of dream matches out there in existence,
so you never know in wrestling.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, so a major event happened this year. John Moxley
became the WGP World Heavyweight Champion, And you already have
some GP gold. Would you say that that's just as
an important target for you as the AW Women's World
Champion or like what do you how do you prioritize,
like which which belt you want to go after next?
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I gotta look at my schedule. I got to see
if I can be out there in Japan every single week,
you know, as the new Japan Strong Women's Champion. We
have a promotion here in the US that loves to
run a lot of shows, so it's easier to just
jump on a flight and go there. But if I
wanted that IWGP Women's Championship again, then I would go
after it. But there's always a plan and then there's
(10:36):
always a time for everything. And that's not just the
only title that I see my eyes on that.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
I see that little title that Mariame is holding. I
love seeing what Athena is holding down in a ring.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Of honor.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
There's a lot of championship gold out there in women's wrestling,
so we'll see that's true.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yeah, absolutely, for sure. I will say this, and this
is kind of one of these things that it's always
cool to see wrestlers crossing over from wrestling to Hollywood,
and of course you are no stranger to Hollywood, being
in of course The Mandalorian and among other things. What's
on the horizon is that something maybe you want to
get back to the Star Wars world? Do you want
to go to Marvel? Like, is there anything that you
(11:18):
can give us a little hint on of upcoming things
that you're working on. Potentially, let's just.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Say that twenty twenty five is going to be a
very successful, fun, busy year.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
We'll just leave that's a very good answer, very good answer,
So real quick, speaking of things movies, Hollywood, have you
seen The Queen of Villains on Netflix? And if so,
what were your thoughts.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
I've only saw the first episode, and I thought, amazing,
It's so cool because I grew up watching Japanese women's wrestlings,
just so just to know that people are getting the
chance to even get a little glimpse of what that is.
It's super exciting, so I definitely have to go back
and watch the full season. But Dump, I don't know
(12:12):
how as her last name that I'm really bad at
Japanese name. She's incredible, so I definitely want to go
and watch that story.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Yeah, probably one of the best mini series they've ever done.
It's just much. Yeah, So I think we may be
seeing a little nod to a certain Halloween favorite in
your wardrobe there. I can't tell. It almost looks a
little Nightmare before Christmas. Y do you do you have
(12:41):
a favorite maybe Halloween themed gear you've done in the past,
or is there anything You're just like, I gotta do
something like this before I wrap it up.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
For a themed gear. I think my favorite that I've
ever done is probably a Sailor Moon. But I've also
had a Wonder Woman inspired a costume, a Spider Man
inspired costume. But that's what's so much fun about wearing
gear and just fashion alone, is just having fun. And
(13:12):
you know, we're in the Halloween season, so I get
to be Sally from the Nightmare before Christmas. But yeah,
I think Sailor Moon is definitely my favorite costume that
I've worn as a cosplay nice.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Very solid. Well, we know that time is Monday, so
we don't want to take up too much your time.
I know you said you got a long list of
people waiting outside your locker room. There security, So before
we let you go, is there anything you want to
say to people that are watching or listening to this right.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Now, Well, they should know that money changes everything. And
to make sure you watch aw Dynamite every single week
on a TBS
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