Mercedes Mone: I Always Wanted To Change The Definition Of What It Was To Be A Diva

Mercedes Mone is ready to change the game again. 

Mercedes Mone (formerly Sasha Banks in WWE) was one of the leaders of the women’s evolution in WWE thanks to her standout persona and matches in NXT, most notably against Bayley at NXT TakeOver Brooklyn 2015. 

Now, women are viewed more equal to their male counterparts, earning main event spots and substantial television time.

Speaking to Evan T. Mack on Kick Rocks, Mercedes was asked about the progress of women’s wrestling over the last decade. 

“It’s so beautiful. I’m going to put over the women, but it’s not just the women, it’s the men. This is the most pro wrestlers in the history of wrestling and it’s the most women have ever been a part of this business. To see how many women are at pro wrestling schools, to see how many women are at different promotions from independent to STARDOM to TNA to AEW to WWE. I have no words for it. I started in WWE with eight women in developmental. I don’t even know how many there are know, there are probably 30, and then you have main roster and AEW and STARDOM. It’s beyond my biggest dreams. I watched wrestling like, ‘How can I do this like the men?’ I discovered Japanese pro wrestling and was like, ‘Oh wow, they actually do it like the men, but harder.’ I saw that and wanted that in the United States. I always wanted to change the definition of what it was to be a diva,” she said. 

Asked if she viewed the word “diva” as a negative, Mercedes replied, “To me, now, no, because it means so much. Back then, I could never watch it with my mom or grandma. My grandma would make fun of me. ‘Yeah, that’s what I want to do.’ Those are the times. We weren’t treated equally, we weren’t treated the same. We weren’t given the same respect. Now women are main eventing. We are beyond killing it and it’s amazing.”

Mercedes is looking to blaze a new path in AEW, making her debut at AEW Dynamite Big Business. 

Fans can find Mercedes’ thoughts on AEW and wanting to take the AEW revolution global by clicking here. 

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