Since joining All Elite Wrestling earlier this year, Mercedes Mone—one of the biggest names in pro wrestling—has created waves.
Fans criticized Mone for a variety of reasons, including being labeled a “unsafe worker” at a WWE live event in December 2017 while working a match with Saraya. During the six-woman tag team match, Mone struck Saraya in the neck, causing the match to be called off.
Saraya’s neck injury had kept her out of action for a year. Saraya was medically retired due to spinal stenosis, but was cleared and returned to in-ring action in 2022. Mone was asked about this during his interview with Hot 97.
Mone said, “I was so depressed by it….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 kinda noise that people might not think you’re safe, it wasn’t even the boys in the back; it’s 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 gonna get hurt or when you’re gonna sprain something, break a neck, break a knee; it’s just business. You have to go out there knowing that you’re gonna put your life on the line, but we do everything we can to protect each other, and unfortunately, that happened.”
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
