Mercedes Mone is one of the most important wrestlers of this generation. Arguing against that would be not easy, especially as there are mounds of evidence to support that statement. But imagine if Mone walked away from the industry and never returned. That was a possibility, and one that the sports entertainment and professional wrestling industries would be worse off if it occurred.
Back in 2022, Mone, then known as Sasha Banks, and Naomi were at the center of a controversy after they walked out of WWE due to creative frustrations. WWE leadership was ready to paint them as the villains in the ordeal, even having commentators state that they “walked out” on fans. However, nearly three years after those events, the WWE women’s division still finds itself in a state of frustration around its booking.
Mone would go on to continue to turn heads in the business. After appearing at Wrestle Kingdom 17 in January 2023, she, and Kairi Sane would sell out NJPW Battle in the Valley while they were the only match announced on the card. She’d eventually sign with All Elite Wrestling where that division would see a surge of momentum after her debut but the division to maintain that drive thanks to the booking of Tony Khan and company.
Still, Mone has proven she’s a powerful entity in wrestling. But what if all of that came to an end in 2022?
“I did. I did because of how hurt I was by it [WWE Walkout] and how much it drove me into a place of darkness,” Mone said while speaking with Katee Sackhoff. “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 of all the stress that I’m creating or the sadness that I’m bringing to myself because of this bad mental talk in my head.”
Mercedes Mone blazes an important trail in wrestling
It's sad to hear how much that moment impacted Mone, all because WWE consistently undervalued the women’s division, but specifically how she was treated multiple times while building herself up into one of the biggest stars in the company. Often despite how the organization positioned her.
To see Mone and Naomi stand ten toes down, walk out of the WWE, and reach new levels of success if an important moment for the industry. There was a time when most thought that WWE was the pinnacle of the business. As the largest promotion in wrestling, it’s understandable why that idea holds true. But individuals like Mercedes Mone, Matt Cardona, Mustafa Ali, and several others found a way to continue to achieve greatness outside its doors. Opening their own along the way.
“I felt like at this time, maybe they want to see me gone forever, maybe people want to see me disappear,” Mone said. “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.”
Thankfully, Mercedes Mone did not give up on her dream. Now, she continues to blaze a path that will lead to others achieving their dreams in the future.