Mercedes Moné Addresses Why She Left WWE For AEW

Mercedes Moné feels like she has a good reason why she left WWE to join AEW.

It was on the March 13th edition of AEW Dynamite when Mercedes Mone made her All Elite Wrestling debut on a show called “Big Business” from her hometown of Boston. She is a familiar face to wrestling fans due to her impressive WWE career that lasted for over a decade when she used the name Sasha Banks.

As Sasha Banks in WWE, she won all of the company’s major singles championships, she was a Women’s Tag Team Champion and even walked away from the company in May 2022 while she was one-half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Rather than go back to WWE, Mone decided to debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling instead in January 2023. While working NJPW and Stardom shows, Mone would go on to win and lose the NJPW Women’s Title. On May 21st, 2023, Mercedes Mone took part in a mini tournament to determine the inaugural NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion. She defeated Stephanie Vaquer in the first round and competed against AEW’s Willow Nightingale later that night to determine the inaugural NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion

Sadly, Mercedes Mone suffered a serious ankle injury during that match with Willow, who would go on to win the title because of Mone’s injury. The plan was for Mone to win the title in that match, but it didn’t happen.

It is now one year after that injury as Mone is set to compete in her first AEW match against Willow Nightingale for the TBS Title at Double or Nothing this Sunday, May 26th in Las Vegas.

While speaking to The Ringer, the “CEO” Mercedes Mone issued this statement about why she left WWE and signed with AEW this year.

“I don’t like being handcuffed. The only place to grow is with change, and I needed that change.”

Mercedes Mone Admits She Is Nervous Going Into AEW Debut Match

Going into her first official AEW match, Mercedes Mone admits there are nerves.

“I don’t want to put pressure on myself, because I’ve been doing this for 14 years. I have more excitement than pressure, but I am really nervous as well, just because it’s been a year since I performed, but being in the ring with someone like Willow Nightingale, I know it’s going to be absolutely everything I’ve ever dreamed of. We’re going to go out there and steal the show.”

In the same interview, Mercedes Mone also made the bold claim that she’s the greatest women’s wrestler of all time.