AEW’S TOP PROMOS OF THE WEEK: Mercedes Mone, Don Callis, Swerve Strickland, MJF, Hangman top this week’s list of talkers

Swerve Strickland, “ Hangman” Adam Page, and MJF – Dynamite 12/24/25

I understand the angle that they are trying to go at here with MJF, but I’m not sure calling someone a sexual predator and a bigot is the best way to try to get your point across. For anyone who has watched the Diddy documentary on Netflix like I have, then you kind of know where I’m coming from.

I wasn’t a fan of MJF doing the “Diddy” line last week and I wasn’t a fan of Swerve bringing it back up again this week. Certain things just need to be left alone.

I also didn’t think the bigot line was very smart. I’m not sure you want clips online of one of your biggest and highly paid wrestlers, being called a bigot. There are a lot of things that you could go at MJF for and going to the bigot and sexual predator angle is just not for me.

I know what you’re saying now; “Wait, isn’t this a top promo article?” and yes, it is because I thought there was a lot to like from this promo segment.

The visual of wrestlers standing on those balconies at the Hammerstein Ballroom just always works. It’s just such a cool visual. I need to get to a show there the next time they go to Hammerstein. I really enjoyed Swerve getting his licks back on MJF in this promo because I thought it was a bad look for him to just stand there last week while MJF took shot after shot at him. Story-wise, the Swerve character would never just stand there and take that disrespect. He needed to have the mic this week because he got the worst of it from MJF the week before.

Like I said though, I didn’t like the angle he took with the predator and bigot line. I did, however, like him going through the list of MJF’s victims from The Pinnacle (underrated group) to Wardlow to Adam Cole.

Speaking of Adam Cole, it was nice to see him during the pre-show for World’s End. I really think that he should be used in some capacity for AEW. He’s always been able to talk and that is something that I think a lot of wrestlers on the roster could benefit from. I wouldn’t mind seeing him being used as a mouthpiece for someone. Just please god don’t let it be Roderick Strong or Kyle O’Reilly.

I loved Swerve’s line about how he leaves the people he works with better whether they are enemy or ally unlike MJF and then hitting the stare at Hangman while he said it. I also liked how he brought up the fact that as much as MJF claims to hate the fans, he needs their likes, re-tweets, and comments to fuel his fragile ego. It was such a great line and was spot on how the MJF character thinks.

Mercedes Mone – World’s End 12/27/25

I thought Mercedes Mone nailed this backstage interview after her loss at World’s End. I think it might have been some of her best acting work since she’s been in AEW.

I thought her freak out in her locker room, to her trying to calm herself down during the interview, to ramping herself up to another freak out after the interview was just great. I also thought it was a great use of an F-bomb.

I would be totally fine with her losing the TBS Title to Willow this week. I don’t even care if Willow is already the Women’s Tag Team Champion. This is the most into Mercedes I’ve been since she first came to AEW. She plays a spoiled brat so well, and the full spiral she is about to hit once she loses that TBS Title will be great. This will ultimately lead to her winning the AEW Women’s Title and her climb back to get there will be great… hopefully.

Don Callis – World’s End 12/27/25

I thought Callis did a fantastic job setting up the match between Jon Moxley and Kazuchika Okada and making clear what was on the line in the match. I like Callis bringing up the fact that he tried to work with Moxley and he threw it back in his face.

I also loved Callis, bringing up the fact that for 3.5 years he’s had to look in the mirror and see the scar that Moxley left on his head. I had forgotten that it was a segment with Moxley where he cut his head open. I also loved how he opened the promo by telling the people watching to “ forget all the showbiz.” I liked that because it emphasized that the Continental Classic is about wrestling.

I am also a sucker for a good revenge story, and I love when people bring up grudges from years ago and how, “ they play the long game.” The match itself didn’t live up to this promo, but I thought Callis did a fantastic job hyping up the match.