Mercedes Mone revealed that she nearly didn’t have the chance to make her AEW debut.
At NJPW Strong Resurgence in May of 2023, Mercedes Mone competed in a tournament to crown the first-ever NJPW Strong Women’s Champion. The tournament final saw her face off against Willow Nightingale, and disaster struck in the form of a severe ankle injury. While Mone was reportedly planned to win the match and the championship, Nightingale was crowned instead as Mone realized she was seriously injured.
While the former Sasha Banks has yet to return to competition, she has returned to training and posted a training video in late November. Mercedes Mone has since signed with All Elite Wrestling, and she’s expected to make her AEW debut at Big Business on March 13th.
Speaking in a new interview with The Kick Rocks Wrestling Podcast, Mercedes Mone opened up about her injury, saying it forced her to slow down and heal both physically and mentally.
“I’ve always been saying since I got hurt, I’m healing every day and that has progressed my healing so much. What a crazy experience that I’ve never got to talk about. It’s been crazy. Almost 10 months now, from a freak accident, or did Willow (Nightingale) push me? Or did someone pay off the ref and made that top rope slippery?
“I don’t know but I’ve spent the past 10 months thinking about how much unfinished business I have in wrestling and how much I was on a hunger tour goal. I was so focused and just so ready for my plans to succeed in 2023 and for that to happen to me, it taught me so much about life and it just taught me that I needed to even, I guess, slow down even more and to heal.”
Though she didn’t mention it specifically, Mercedes Mone hinted at healing the hurt from her acrimonious exit from WWE in 2022. Then performing as Sasha Banks, the star walked out of WWE alongside tag team partner Naomi amidst reported creative disputes.
“Because prior to that, a lot happened to me, you know? A lot of hurt happened and a lot of healing needed to happen and I still was just going so fast, but ready because I love wrestling so much and I couldn’t be away from it. But I wasn’t healed inside that I think it was just a message being like, you gotta slow down and figure out what’s next for you and what are your plans.
“Your plans are good, but I think you need to reevaluate a little bit more and just that whole time I was injured, I couldn’t walk for three months. I got brand new puppies two weeks before I got injured. You’ve got no idea how it is to hop out of the bed, grab your crutches and be like, ‘Please… Why’d you poop everywhere?’ I am like a one-legged — so strong now, it’s insane to see how powerful your mind, your body can just overcome and heal something that is just so traumatic.”
Mercedes Mone is ready to look to the future, and she detailed multiple projects she has in the works in addition to hinting at her Big Business debut.
“But I feel more ready and more better than ever and I cannot wait to see all my prior plans of 2023 come into fruition to 2024. I’ve been making some really big moves. Big business moves and big money moves, you know?
“And just this whole time of healing, I got to work on so many other things that I have such a passion for. I think fans are gonna be really excited and they’re gonna be like, finally! That I’ll be releasing music this year. I am still acting and got some amazing, amazing things in the works and I got to audition for incredible roles in movies so, we gotta keep on manifesting great things about that and I finally think I found a home in a wrestling place.
“Yeah. So it’s really, really exciting and I’m excited about these big money moves.”
Mercedes Mone Was Determined To Return To Wrestling Despite Career-Threatening Injury
Continuing, Mercedes Mone revealed that her injury in May nearly ended her wrestling career. However, the star was determined to make a comeback.
“Little do people know, I was told that this was a career-ending injury and I screamed at my doctor and surgeon. I said, ‘No, it’s not’ and I’m going to come back really soon and I’m going to have just the greatest time, the greatest matches, the greatest career that I’ve ever had yet because I see it and I feel it and I know it…”
During the same interview, Mercedes Mone made an interesting statement about her in-ring future.
h/t POST Wrestling