Tony got fleeced by Mercedes saying "if you make me champ, it's going to look amazing to an external audience, it'll help you get that TV deal, and I'll be able to do endless PR on morning shows and look glamorous at sporting events/movie premieres with your championship belt."
All her matches are foregone conclusions because of this politicking and Tony's desperation for anyone seeming like a big star to the outside world. Britt was in this role while she was champ, but all their other options are poor.
- Shida and Riho can't speak English.
- Saraya and Harley are slags.
- Taya reeks of incincerity and her aura is fake.
Toni's gimmick doesn't work beyond comedy to a mainstream audience.
- Ruby, Deeb, Nyla, Aminata, Skye, Julia, Anna, Stat, Red Velvet, Athena or any of the others ROH shitters wouldn't have the ability to navigate a movie premiere, convention appearance or morning show and actually be entertaining in those spaces. They need more media training or experience selling wrestling to other audiences.
- Mariah is still green and can maybe do it, but needs more time. Willow is too girl next door and not "star" enough. Her being a nice girl is a subversion of what mainstream culture (which is adjacent of hip-hop culture) wants out of a wrestler.
Jade was a shit wrestler but she knew how to carry herself in the situations most crucial to Tony right now. Mercedes is the replacement for Jade in that regard.
Whether she loses now that the TV deal is done or not remains to be seen, but for now the TBS title is treated as a bigger deal than the Women's Title and we know Mercedes isn't losing any time soon.
