Mercedes Mone has looked back on the moment when she considered that her wrestling career may be over following on from the infamous events that set into motion the next stage of her career.
Back in 2022, Mone [previously known as Sasha Banks] and Naomi walked out of a WWE Raw taping due to a creative disagreement. With both wrestlers reigning as the Women’s Tag Team Champions at the time, the titles were vacated and commentary criticised Banks and Naomi for their unprofessionalism in an order that came from management.
Absent for more than 6 months, the former Sasha Banks debuted her new look and new name of Mercedes Mone and made her arrival at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17. Following a brief run in New Japan that was cut short due to injury, Mone became All Elite in March 2024 and has remained in the company ever since, winning the TBS Championship along with titles in NJPW and RevPro.
However, according to The CEO, following the WWE walkout there was a possibility that her wrestling career ended there and then. Appearing on The Sackhoff Show, Mone told Katee Sackhoff that she did consider retiring:
“I did. I did because of how hurt I was by it and how much it drove me into a place of darkness. I couldn’t believe something that brought me so much light in my life, that saved me so many times when I was a kid, brought me so much darkness. I was just like, I don’t want to feel like this, I don’t want to have so much stress where I’m legit killing myself because all of the stress that I’m creating or the sadness that I’m bringing to myself because of this bad mental talk my head.
So, just a lot of healing, just a lot of healing and I told myself no, this is still what I freaking love, I love wrestling and I still have the same goal of when I was 10 years old and no one’s going to take that away. I felt like at this time, maybe they want to see me gone forever, maybe people want to see me disappear. I’m like, I can’t give that to people, I can’t give up on myself and I can’t give up on my dream. I still have so much light and passion for this and such a chase and a drive.
My light and my god told me, you’ve got to keep on going. So here’s New Japan, take your bags, go to Japan and go make one of your dreams happen. That happened and then just more dreams kept on coming and coming and then more talks with AEW happened and then the connection just kind of realigned and it was finally perfect until I signed a contract with AEW and it felt so right because I knew I could create so much more new dreams and memories for women’s wrestling.”
Mercedes Mone Discusses Winding Down
While Mone has continued her wrestling career in AEW and has shown no signs of slowing down, the TBS Champion has been wrestling for over a decade and has also previously pursued acting roles. Also in the interview, Mercedes Mone spoke about her potential retirement and life after wrestling.
H/t to Fightful.