Mercedes Martinez says she was not utilized to her ‘full potential’ in AEW
Former AEW and ROH wrestler Mercedes Martinez recently opened up about her time in AEW and how she was not properly utilized there.
Speaking to A2theKWrestling, Martinez revealed the time she started to realize how her in-ring time was coming near its end.
“I’m blessed for the opportunity that Tony [Khan] gave me for the last four years. But it felt like the last year and a half, almost two years, I just sat on the shelf not doing anything for the company,” she said.
Expressing how she was not properly utilized there, the 45-year-old continued, “And it kind of messes with your mind a lot. It kind of just makes you think, ’Am I worth it? Does he really want to utilize my talent and my expertise?’ I know my style is not like a TV style. It’s very just raw. It’s very rugged. It’s very old school in the sense of very power and strong style. And maybe the girls didn’t want to wrestle somebody like me with that style because it’s very raw. But I also look at Eddie Kingston and be like, ‘Well, if he can do it, I know I can do it. You need a female like that.’”
“It’s kind of one of those things where I’m just like, ‘Man, I’m hitting that age group. I’m 45, and can I still go with the new generation?’ Maybe that’s their thing. Maybe they didn’t want to put me into creative storylines or anything like that I’ve pitched,” she continued. “So it’s just one of those things where I’m like, maybe if we don’t renew the contract, which I already knew wasn’t going to happen, that I’m gonna go out the way I want to go out.“
Earlier this year, she shared a thoughtful message and opened up about embracing one final run in 2026. Her career began in the late 2000s, but she had her first recorded match (as per Cagematch) in 2001. Throughout her long and celebrated career, Martinez wrestled across multiple promotions, including WWE, AEW, ROH, and many more.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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