Mercedes Martinez Opens Up About AEW Women's Division Struggles And Exit
Mercedes Martinez has opened up about her AEW departure.
The wrestling veteran was part of the AEW roster from 2021 to 2025. She was featured on programs such as Rampage and Dark early in her run with the company and later moved to ROH after Tony Khan bought the promotion. After not being featured on ROH TV since early 2024, Martinez finally left the promotion when her deal expired at the start of this year.
During a recent interview with In The Weeds, the former ROH Women's Champion opened up about her run with the company and her departure. Speaking about the reason her run was not as successful as fans hoped, Mercedes Martinez explained that it was the result of a bloated roster:
"I don’t want to talk bad about a company at all. Tony (Khan) gave me an opportunity when I first got there and ran with the popularity, and it just fizzled out a little bit. Sometimes, when you have a bloated roster, so many talented female wrestlers just go down the totem pole. That’s what I felt."
Mercedes Martinez revealed that she kept pitching storyline ideas to creative as long as she was signed to the company, but claimed that she did not feel frustrated at her voice not being heard. The former ROH star noted that she didn't know the reason she was off TV so she couldn't figure out a way to solve the problem:
"The time stuff for female wrestlers in any promotion tends to be small, and I think that was the problem. They had this phenomenal roster of talented female wrestlers and they didn’t know where everybody was going to fit. I didn’t have to be on TV. I didn’t want to be on Dynamite or Collision. I was happy with Ring of Honor because that’s where you’re seeing a lot of up-and-coming wrestlers, which is what I wanted to do."
The former Champion later also opened up about leaving the promotion. The 45-year-old, who has confirmed that 2026 will be her last year as full-time wrestler, noted that she gave the company a way out by telling them that she was not looking to re-sign. Martinez told the officials that she wanted to do this her own way with no chains and creative freedom. Though she later also thanked Tony Khan, saying that she felt blessed at getting the opportunity.
