Mercedes Mone on Hot 97 Radio; Signing with AEW, 2017 Saraya Injury, more

[Chris]

Mercedes Mone says fans labeling her ‘unsafe’ after Saraya injury left her depressed

Mercedes Mone says fans labeling her as unsafe caused her to spiral into depression. During WWE’s holiday house show tour in late 2017, Saraya was injured after taking a kick to the back from Mone.

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“I was so depressed by it,” Mone responded.

“That definitely sent me on a spiral of depression because wrestling has always been my biggest goal and dream, and I’ve always wanted to be the greatest at it.”

“So, to hear any kind of noise that people might not think you’re safe… It wasn’t even the boys in the back, it was just the fans thinking you’re not safe. It’s scary sometimes, but that’s the business that we’re in. You never know when you’re going to get hurt.”

Saraya opened up about her injury and Mone’s response to it during a 2018 interview with GiveMeSport. She told the outlet that Mone was devastated upon learning that doctors had told Saraya to retire.

“Nothing was ever Sasha’s fault,” Saraya said. “She got so much backlash and even in the ring, when we were in there, people are chanting ‘Sasha sucks’ and it really upset me to hear that because it wasn’t her fault.”

“The thing is with me, right, that move where she kicks me in the back, I had taken that so many times previously that I was so stubborn and I thought ‘I can still do these kind of things’ and I thought my neck was just as strong as it was before, but, unfortunately, it’s not.”

“So I called this move and I told her to do it and so she did it, and unfortunately, my neck wasn’t strong enough and it snapped all the way back and it was essentially the same as having a really bad car crash – the whiplash was.”

 

[Chris]

“Something didn’t feel right that day,” she said. “How we were talked to didn’t settle in my heart. And I just instantly knew, like, if I wasn’t going to take control of my life right here and now, then I was never going to be happy there by having someone talk to me the way that they do or feeling like you just don’t belong.”

“It wasn’t just about me, it’s my family too. I financially support my brother who has special needs. I financially support my mother. So, for two years, not having a ‘stable’ income — you know, I’m still making money thanks for the other doors of opportunities of coming in. But really not knowing what was going to be next and if I was going to fit back into wrestling,” Mone said.

“And I’m so thankful for a company like AEW and such a beautiful boss and leader like Tony Khan who saw me for what I am. And he saw me as the best, the best women’s wrestler of all time. He worked endless amount of years to try to get me and to get me down [to AEW]. He finally got me. The numbers were right, the conversations were right, the alignment was right, and the goals were aligned. That’s the biggest thing. I wanted the goals of what his mission was for AEW and the women’s wrestling in AEW. And I wanted him to know how much I care and how much I want to bring to women’s wrestling here in AEW. And the alignment was just there. And now here we are making magic.”

Also this bit about the Mandalorian she mentioned last week but elaborated more now