For the first time, Mercedes Mone has opened up about her decision to walk out of WWE.
The former Sasha Banks recently sat down for an interview with Evan Mack on the Kick Rocks wrestling podcast. When asked why she isn't in WWE right now, Mone explained her decision to walk out of the company. Mone called it the hardest decision she's ever made, but it's also the decision she's most proud of. Something inside of Mone told her that she needed to do this and stand up for herself.
Mone said the decision changed her life for the better. She now gets to be everything she's ever dreamed of being.
"I can't say nothing but amazing things to WWE," Mone said. "I'm so thankful for the career that they gave me, the fans that they gave me, the life that they gave me, the dreams that they gave me."
Mone added that she has a lot of unfinished business in a lot of places in wrestling:
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 I believe in such a higher power of light that comes over me. Something inside of me told me 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. If people don't know, it's been my whole life. And it's the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my whole life. But it's the most 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. I get to be everything I ever dreamt of and more. You have no idea.
And 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 [Naomi]. I'm so proud -- of just how strong we were. Because, like you said, 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. But all I know is that I handled it like a CEO, like the Boss that I am, with my head held up high. And I can't say nothing but amazing things to WWE. I'm so thankful for the career that they gave me, the fans that they gave me, the life that they gave me, the dreams that they gave me. So many dreams. I got to chase and live them all. I get to do, you know, so much more. Like I said, I have a lot of unfinished business in wrestling in a lot of places.
Mone (real name Mercedes Varnado) and Naomi (Trinity Fatu) walked out of WWE in May 2022 after reportedly taking issue with their planned creative direction. At the time, they were the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. They were stripped of the titles after walking out.
Naomi, who became a champion for TNA Wrestling after walking out of WWE, made her WWE return at the Royal Rumble this January. Naomi is now a member of the SmackDown roster.
Mone returned to pro wrestling for NJPW and Stardom last year but has been out of action since May 2023 due to an ankle injury. Mone is expected to make her AEW debut on the Big Business episode of Dynamite in Boston next Wednesday (March 13).
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