Mercedes Martinez has opened up about feeling underutilized during the final stretch of her time in AEW, saying being left off television for nearly two years took a significant mental toll and left her questioning her own worth within the company.
Speaking to A2theKWrestling, Martinez expressed gratitude for the opportunity Tony Khan gave her while being candid about the frustration she experienced during her final months with the promotion. “I’m blessed for the opportunity that Tony gave me for the last four years,” Martinez said. “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.”
Martinez said the prolonged inactivity affected her mentally in ways that went beyond professional frustration. “It kind of messes with your mind a lot,” Martinez said. “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.”
Martinez said she looked to a fellow AEW performer as a reference point for why her style should have had a place on the show. “I also look at Eddie Kingston and be like, well, if he can do it, I know I can do it,” Martinez said. “You need a female like that.”
The 45-year-old also addressed the age-related doubts that began to creep in as the inactivity continued. “I’m hitting that age group. I’m 45, and can I still go with the new generation?” Martinez said. “Maybe that’s their thing. Maybe they didn’t want to put me into creative storylines or anything like that I’ve pitched. 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.”
Martinez had her first recorded match in 2001 and has spent over two decades competing in WWE, AEW, ROH, and numerous other promotions. Earlier in 2026, she shared a public message about embracing what she described as a final run, suggesting she intends to close her career on her own terms after her departure from AEW.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit A2theKWrestling with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
