Mercedes Moné Reveals There Were 'So Many Reasons' Why She Left WWE

Mercedes Moné is riding high in All Elite Wrestling, with the ‘CEO’ recently becoming a double champion, adding the NJPW STRONG Women's Championship to her TBS Championship with a win over Stephanie Vaquer at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2024.

It’s a far cry from the circumstances under which Moné - fka Sasha Banks - departed WWE in 2022, with Moné and Naomi surrendering their Women’s Tag Team Championships and walking out of the company. Whilst there are myriad reasons for why the pair exited in the manner they did, Moné has given more insight on her WWE exit, saying the following during an appearance on Hot 97:

"Only within the last two years when I was going through leaving WWE. I'm like, 'Should I be done with wrestling? This is not fun for me. All this noise is not fun.' I was like, 'No, you love this. It's not the noise. It's the noise. It's noise in the ring, noise in the performance, noise when you go out there in front of the crowd. It's not this internet noise, the politics, you can work through that.' There are going to be politics everywhere. It's how you work through that. That's how I grew from a ‘legit boss’ to a CEO. I wanted to take control of my life and my career. Two years ago, I was really questioning myself if I should still do this. 'You're amazing. You still have so much more to give and do. You can't quit on your dreams now,'" Moné said.

Moné went on to give specific examples when asked just why she left WWE:

"There are so many reasons. The biggest thing was listening to my heart and soul. Something didn't feel right that day. How we were talked to didn't settle in my heart. I just instantly knew, 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 don't belong. Okay. I've been doing this for 14 years. To feel this low, my soul is like, 'No, get up. Go.' It was the hardest decision. WWE was always my dream when I was 10 years old. To be with that company for ten years. To walk out was the hardest decision I made in my whole life. Now, it's the greatest decision because of where I am today. The TBS Champion. The highest-paid woman in women's wrestling history. I walked out of that door and walked into so many more doors that were open to me,” continued Moné.

H/T: Fightful