Mercedes Mone is teasing a dream match, even if it isn’t one she can actually book right now.
Fresh off winning the women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament at Forbidden Door, Mone took to her Instagram stories to hype up a potential showdown with WWE star Bayley at AEW WrestleDream 2026. The teaser came in the form of a fan-made graphic, which notably listed Bayley under her old ring name, “Davina Rose,” and billed Mone as the AEW Women’s World Champion, a title she does not currently hold.
Of course, there are a couple of significant hurdles standing in the way. For one, Mone is not yet the AEW Women’s World Champion, though she will challenge Thekla for the belt at All In this August. More importantly, Bayley remains under contract to WWE, making any such match impossible as things currently stand.
The date and location for WrestleDream have not yet been announced, though the pay-per-view has traditionally been held in October. Whether Bayley would have any interest in, or contractual ability to, make the jump to AEW remains entirely unknown. It is believed that WWE deal is set to expire sometime in late 2026 or early 2027. Back in April 2025, Bayley said on Insight with Chris Van Vliet that she had roughly a year and a half remaining on her contract.
Mone and Bayley share a lengthy history as both rivals and allies, dating back to Mone’s WWE run as Sasha Banks. Since Mone left for AEW, Bayley has openly hoped for an eventual on-screen reunion, though she has never signaled any desire to leave WWE. A respected locker room leader, Bayley has also expressed interest in a behind-the-scenes role with the company once her in-ring days are done. For now, she is set to feud with Lyra Valkyria, following Valkyria’s heel turn on their former tag team last week.
As for Mone, her immediate focus remains on All In, where she will challenge Thekla for the AEW Women’s World Championship. The event takes place at Wembley Stadium in London on August 30.
