Why Mercedes Mone Left WWE, In Her Own Words
Mia Russell Highlights
- Mercedes Mone walked out of WWE due to creative disputes, vacating titles without looking back.
- Mone reveals she left WWE to stand up for herself, plans to return one day, praised WWE's impact.
- Mercedes Mone is set to debut in AEW at "Big Business" event, showcasing her talents after WWE exit.
Mercedes Mone (Sasha Bank in WWE) departed the company in 2022. She was one half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions alongside Naomi. Prior to an episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, there was a creative dispute among other issues which had apparently been going on behind the scenes that many fans and wrestling critics were unaware of. This led to Mercedes and Naomi walking out of WWE, vacating their titles without looking back. Naomi made her return to WWE at the 2024 Royal Rumble. However, Mercedes Mone is on her own path and is likely to join AEW's roster for next week's event, "Big Business".
Mercedes Mone | Facts & Stats |
|---|---|
Height: | 5'5" |
Weight: | N/A |
Age: | 32 |
Billed From: | Boston, MA |
Debut: | August 8, 2010 |
Finisher(s): | Wheelbarrow Bulldog, Bank Statement (as Sasha Banks) |
Sasha Banks Has A Long History Of Problems With WWE
There are rumors that Sasha Banks could return to WWE, but if she does, her bad history with the company must be repaired.Mercedes Mone Didn't Like WWE's Creative Decisions For Sasha Banks
Mercedes Mone Wanted To Quit WWE In 2019
Mercedes Mone had her ups and downs with WWE dating back as far as 2017. She went on the Sam Roberts Wrestling podcast to explain to listeners how much of a difference her transition made from NXT to the WWE's main roster. She said:
“I think that’s what’s different about NXT too. We kind of always knew where we were going, so it helped me prepare and think of ahead of time, like, ‘how can I make this better?’. But when I go to RAW, it’s legit, like, ‘I have no clue what I’m doing.’ I don’t even know what to prepare for. I’m just, like, handed something or told something. And I was like, ‘okay, I have one hour to get ready. Oh, okay. Alright. Let’s just do it! I’ll be honest about something. I’m a three-time RAW Women’s Champion, right, which is awesome? Within a whole year, I’m a three-time Women’s Champion, which, to me, is a lot. I am a three-time two-week holder of a championship, so that took away my confidence so much... It’s stuff like that really brought down my confidence levels, like maybe there’s something wrong with me, and they don’t see me as a champion or legit they wanted to have all these title changes, and they wanted people to talk about it.”
Mercedes kept her head held high and progressed with her WWE career. By WrestleMania 35, she and Bayley were scheduled to drop the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships to The IIconics. This was a creative move that didn't sit well with Mercedes. She wanted to quit WWE back then, but Vince McMahon talked her out of it and instead told her to take some time away from WWE to rest and recharge her batteries.
Sasha Banks Said She Asked WWE For Her Release, Talks McMahon's Response
Sasha Banks was on the Broken Skull Sessions show with Steve Austin and talked needing time off from WWE and what Vince said when asked.Mercedes Mone Breaks Her Silence On Her WWE Departure
Mercedes Mone Reveals That She Will Return To WWE One Day
Recently, Mercedes Mone was a guest on the Kick Rocks Wrestling Podcast detailing why she left WWE in 2022. She said:
"That's a big question. That's a big, big question. I really believe in, not only the universe, but I believe in myself and a higher power of light that comes over me. Something inside of me told me that I needed to go do this and stand up for myself. It was a very hard decision because wrestling in WWE has been my whole life. People don't know, it's been my whole life. It's the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my whole life, but it's the proudest. It's crazy, because I would not be sitting here, living the best version of my life and getting to be everything I've ever dreamt of, and more. It makes me so excited because that moment changed my whole life for the better. I'm so thankful for that moment. I'm so proud of myself. I'm so proud of Trinity, of just how strong we were. Everybody wanted to talk about it. Everybody wanted to act like they were in the room. Everybody acted like they were in the room, or worked there, or were backstage, or knew what happened, or knew what was said. All I know is that I handled it like a CEO, like the boss that I am, with my head held high. I can't say anything but amazing things to WWE. I'm so thankful to the career they gave me, the fans they gave me, the life they gave me. The dreams that they gave me. So many dreams. I got to chase and live them all. I get to do so much more. I have a lot of unfinished business in wrestling in a lot of places."
However, there is one piece of information that was cut from the interview, later posted on X (Twitter), where Mone revealed that she will return to WWE one day.
Sasha Banks' Contract Talks Stall With WWE, Mercedes Moné AEW Debut Being Predicted
Recent reports say that WWE has backed away from negotiations with Sasha Banks over money. It isn't confirmed, but predicted she'll show up for AEW.Mercedes Mone Is Set To Debut In AEW
The "Big Business" Episode Of AEW Dynamite Will Be The Debut Of Mercedes Mone
AEW will be holding a special event in place of Dynamite next Wednesday night, titled "Big Business", live from the TD Garden in Boston, MA. This is the hometown of Mercedes Mone, and as the graphic promotes the event with the obvious "$$" signs for "Bo$$ton", it clearly and obviously indicates we're likely to see Mercedes make her anticipated debut for the company. After her short yet bittersweet tenure with NJPW, it's now time to see what Mercedes Mone can do under the AEW banner.
