Mercedes Mone has opened up about leaving WWE and is just a few days away from making her anticipated AEW debut on the March 13 episode of Dynamite: Big Business.
Mone, formerly Sasha Banks, and Trinity Fatu, formerly Naomi, left WWE in May 2022 over creative differences. The night they walked out, they were advertised as part of a Six Pack Challenge for the evening’s main event, with the winner receiving the next Raw Women’s Title shot despite being the Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Months later, they were released, with Mone moving to NJPW and Fatu to TNA Wrestling. Naomi returned to the company in January, and while Mone was in talks with WWE about returning, the decision to join the rival promotion was reportedly based on financial differences.
Mone discussed the walkout during an appearance on the Kick Rocks Wrestling Podcast. An early version of the podcast was available on Apple Podcasts before being removed.
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.”
The full episode will air tonight, and she will discuss what comes next in her career, returning from injury, spending time in Japan, and more.
