The run of Ultimo Moné is over. After collecting various championships around the world, Mercedes Moné went on tour to do the right thing and lose the titles one by one. Unfortunately, terms couldn’t be reached for the final title, and the CEO vacated the APAC Wrestling Women’s Championship.
The APAC title comes from Malaysia, and Mercedes won that gold from Nor Phoenix Diana at a House of Glory event in New York. Mercedes vacated the championship due to budgetary and scheduling matters.
Mercedes explained
her decision in the latest edition of the Moné Mag (Vol. 3, Issue 46), transcription via Diva Dirt.
A Tough Decision
While I was in London, I had to make a tough call.
I sent the Malaysia Championship back.My team and I really tried to make things work—we put in the effort, had the conversations, and explored every option. But at the end of the day, they told us they didn’t have the budget to fly me out and weren’t open to working with other promotions.
For me?
That just didn’t align with the vision.
So I made the decision to vacate the title.And look—this business isn’t always easy. Not every partnership works out the way you hope. But I’ve learned to stand firm in my worth, my time, and what I bring to the table.
Every title I hold means something.
Every move I make has purpose.
So even though it wasn’t easy, it was necessary.
Because growth sometimes means letting go.Trust me…
I’m always moving forward.
In response, APAC Wrestling founder Ayez Shaukat expressed respect for Mercedes while addressing the situation. The full statement touches on clearing the reputation of APAC and trying to work with Winnipeg Pro Wrestling, which is where Mercedes dropped her second to last indie title. That’s why the message sounds defensive at times, and that vibe does not seem to be directed at Mercedes.
I woke up on 3 hours of sleep to a flood of texts, tags, and questions, so let me say this clearly.
I have nothing but respect for Mercedes Moné. She is a global star, in high demand, and I understand that her schedule and travel limitations are real. I do not blame her for this situation, and I appreciate the opportunity we had to work together.
But the public narrative being pushed does not fully reflect what actually happened.
We did try. We did explore working with other promotions, because that was what was asked of us. I personally reached out, followed up, and tried to make multiple scenarios work.
I also need to correct this clearly: I did not ask other promotions to fly my wrestler in for us. I have the text and email receipts to back that up, and I am prepared to stand on that truth if necessary. I have chosen not to post private communications lightly because I still believe in handling business professionally, but I will protect my name when needed.
For more context, I was even willing to go beyond our limits on my side. I openly said I would take on extra work and secure sponsors to try and bring Mercedes to Malaysia. That ultimately was not workable, which I understand, so we were pushed to explore solutions abroad instead.
I would have genuinely loved to make something work with Arek in Poland and Hal in France. Both were respectful, professional, and tried to find real solutions. I appreciate both of them for that. But when we looked at the full picture, it simply did not make business sense financially for us.
This is the reality of running an independent promotion from Malaysia. We do not have major-company resources, no sponsors or backing. Our shows run on a loss, but we still continue out of passion. I work multiple jobs to keep APAC Wrestling alive, and yes, finances, currency differences, and international travel costs are real factors. That is not an excuse. That is reality.
What hurts the most is this: when we entered this situation, we believed Nor Phoenix Diana would get proper in-ring closure. But because bringing Mercedes to Malaysia was not workable, the expectation shifted toward having the title dropped elsewhere to someone else, with all due respect to the other great women involved. That meant Nor Phoenix Diana would not get her rematch, and she would not get her closure. As a promoter, and as someone who cares deeply about my talent, that is the part that sits heaviest with me.
I also want to address Winnipeg Pro Wrestling directly. Our interaction was minimal. I reached out, was initially ignored, and only received, a single response declining based on budget and their story direction, which I respected. That was the extent of it. So the public version being pushed does not reflect my actual communication with them. Again, I have the receipts for that.
I am not here to tear anyone down or create more drama. To Mercedes, I sincerely apologize for any public discomfort this has caused. I still have respect for you, and I understand you are likely speaking from what was communicated to you.
I am only here to stand on the truth, protect my name, protect my company, and move forward with dignity.
APAC Wrestling will keep building. We will keep fighting. And we will keep representing Malaysia with pride.
Yours Truly,
Ayez Shaukat
Founder of APAC WrestlingAnd with that, the APAC Wrestling Women’s Championship is officially vacant.
Share your thoughts on Mercedes Moné vacating her final belt. How soon do you want to see the CEO return to AEW?
