Various: Mercedes Mone Announced for HOG Event for This March, Maria Kanellis on Wrestling Career Future & Her Plans for 2025, Indi Hartwell on Wrestling Career Future, Indies/Misc.

Feb 6, 2025

Mercedes Mone Announced for HOG Event for This March & First Indie Match Since 2011

House of Glory announced that Mercedes Mone will be making her official debut appearance for the company at their March 15th event in Jamaica, New York.

Official press release:

Mercedes Mone Comes To HOG on March 15 in NYC! First Indie Appearance Since 2011!
House of Glory officials have announced that AEW Women’s TBS Champion Mercedes Mone will headline the March 15 show at the NYC Arena. The event will stream live on TrillerTV+. (@FiteTV)
The current AEW champion and former WWE champion, makes her first indie appearance since 2011! The CEO has set sights on one of the biggest wrestling promotions in the country now on Saturday March 15th.
Mercedes has won championships all over the world and now steps into the NYC Arena for the first time. What does she have planned? Who will she face? Stay tuned to HOG’s social media channels for more news in the coming weeks.
Tickets are on sale NOW at http://HOGWrestling.net. General admission starts at $30. The NYC Arena is easily accessible via MTA, LIRR, and limited street parking is available. Located in Jamaica, Queens the venue has been home to HOG since 2014.

Mercedes Mone is wrestling on the indies for the first time since 2012, @FightfulSelect has confirmed.

March 15 at the NYC Arena for @HOGwrestling.

HOG sent the following:

Mercedes Mone Comes To HOG on March 15 in NYC! First Indie Appearance Since 2011!

House of Glory… pic.twitter.com/Hobd3bNka4
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) February 7, 2025

Maria Kanellis Comments on Future of Her Wrestling Career & Her Plans for 2025

As noted before, Maria Kanellis’ contract with AEW and Ring of Honor expired at the end of this past January.

In a response to a recent fan question, Kanellis provided an update on the future of her wrestling career and if fans might see her return to WWE or TNA. Kanellis also gave her thoughts about her current plans for 2025.

“I am focused on my family. I’m happy doing a few signings, photo shoots, building @thewildstems [florist], writing my book, and going back to school. That’s enough unless the right opportunity comes up. I’m not forcing anything nor do I want it. I could have died last year. This year is about reflection and spiritual growth. Not proving to people I don’t know that ‘I’ve still got it.’”

. I am focused on my family. I’m happy doing a few signings, photo shoots, building @thewildstems, writing my book, and going back to school. That’s enough unless the right opportunity comes up. I’m not forcing anything nor do I want it. I could have died last year. This year is… https://t.co/WUYGBiBg7N
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) February 6, 2025

Indi Hartwell Comments on Future of Her Wrestling Career

As noted before, Indi Hartwell was released by WWE this past November as part of a batch of talent releases.

A recent episode of the Busted Open Radio podcast featured Hartwell as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Hartwell’s thoughts about the future of her wrestling career.

“I feel like I’m a very creative person and I’m showing that on my YouTube channel. I’m trying to show people an insight into the real me. With limited TV time, you don’t really get to show your personality and I feel like it’s helping me get more supporters. I would love to be back on TV. I don’t want to just be another girl on the roster. I was happy to do that in WWE, but maybe it bit me in the ass. I think I need to aspire for more. I don’t want to be another girl on the roster. I want to be the girl.”

Hartwell also gave her thoughts about who she would like to face in potential future matches now that she is a free agent.

“I haven’t done the whole ‘write the list of people’ you want to work with. I feel like a lot of people do that. That’s not really me. Who I want to wrestle will just coincide with what my goals are. I don’t want to be a girl on the roster. I don’t want to be a Knockout, I want to be the Knockout. Masha Slamovich is the Knockouts Champion, put her number one.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

Misc. Wrestling News & Notes

WrestleCon announced that Saraya and The Hardys (Matt & Jeff Hardy) will be making an appearance for the company at their WrestleCon Las Vegas convention event on April 17-20 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Former ECW referee John Finegan recently announced on Facebook that he will be retiring from wrestling this May.

As noted before, former WWE NXT and Impact/TNA talent Kimber Lee was arrested in May of 2023 following a DUI incident involving the assault of a police officer in Serbing, Florida. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that The Highlands County Court issued an adjudicated guilty ruling against Lee based on recent court records. Johnson reported that Lee had agreed to a Nolo Contendre plea deal, which in legal terms means the defendant accepts conviction as though a guilty plea had been entered but does not admit guilt. Lee was sentenced to one year of probation/community control on the DUI charge and two years probation/community control on the other charges to be served concurrently.

As noted before, WWE parent company TKO Group reached a settlement deal for an anti-trust lawsuit against UFC in March of 2024 for $335 million that was initially rejected by judge Richard Boulware over him feeling that the settlement amount should be higher for Cung Le and Kajan lawsuits and later revised to $375 million. John S. Nash reported that Judge Boulware approved TKO’s revised settlement deal for the lawsuit filed by Le on Thursday based on recent court records.

Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling recently announced that Blake Christian will be making his official debut appearance for the company at their Mayhem event on March 14-15 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Major League Wrestling recently announced that this year’s Summer of the Beasts event will be taking place on June 26th at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York.

MLW also recently announced one new match for the card of their MLW Fusion taping on February 8th in Atlanta, Georgia:

Okumura vs. Ariel Dominguez

CMLL announced two new matches for the card of their Homenaje A Dos Leyendas 2025 event on March 21st in Mexico City, Mexico:

Mask Eliminator Tag Team match – Star Jr. & Zandokan Jr. vs. El Valiente & Esfinge
Lucha de Apuestas, Mask vs. Mask match – TBD vs. TBD (Winners of Mask Eliminator Tag Team match)

CMLL also announced four new matches for the card of their Super Viernes event on March 7th at the Arena Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico:

CMLL Women’s World Championship – Persephone vs. Zeuxis (c)
CMLL Women’s National Championship match – India Sioux vs. Sanley (c)
2025 Irma Gonzalez Cup match – Candela vs. Metalica vs. Amapola vs. La Jarochita vs. Reina Isis vs. Princesa Sugehit vs. Dark Silueta vs. La Catalina
CMLL Women’s World Tag Team Championship Eliminator Four-way match – Las Valientes (Hera & Olympia) vs. Kira & Skadi vs. Johnnie Robbie & Viva Van vs. Red Velvet & Lady Frost

Game Changer Wrestling recently announced one new match for the card of their The Coldest Winter 3 event on March 1st in Los Angeles, California:

Joey Janela vs. Super Crazy

New Japan Pro Wrestling recently announced two new matches for the cards of their NJPW x CMLL Fantastica Mania 2025 events on February 27-28 in Tokyo, Japan:

February 27th – MLW World Tag Team Championship – Rugido & Magnus vs. OKUMURA & Satoshi Kojima (c)
February 28th – MLW World Middleweight Championship – Averno vs. Mistico (c)