During a recent interview, Mercedes Moné discussed her career path and what she views as key moments in the evolution of women’s wrestling.
During the late 90’s and 2000’s, women’s wrestling featured shorter matches and specific stipulations, such as “bra and panties matches.” Moné was part of a group of performers in WWE’s NXT brand who were featured in longer, main-event style matches.
A Childhood Dream
Speaking with MVP and Dwayne Swayze on the Marking Out podcast, Moné described her lifelong goal of becoming a wrestler. She recalled her mother’s initial apprehension after seeing the types of matches women were competing in at the time.
“That’s crazy to think that. I’ve since I was 10 years old, I knew wrestling was my calling, my self purpose, my everything. And I always told my mom I wanted to be a pro wrestler, and then I would watch it with her, and she’d be like, that’s what you want to do. She’s wrong watching the brawn panties matches with me in the mud fight. She goes, that’s what you want to do… I’m like, No, Mom, not not that. Watch the next match. Watch Eddie Guerrero. I want to do that, but in the female form, and I’ve always just manifested that dream of just being a professional wrestling that saved my life as a kid… I knew I had this dream of, I wanted to change the definition of what it meant to be a diva.”
A Turning Point in Brooklyn
Moné credited Triple H, Dusty Rhodes, and William Regal for their roles in providing more opportunities for the women’s division in NXT. She pointed to her NXT Women’s Championship match against Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in 2015 as the moment she believes “elevated and changed” the wrestling landscape for women.
“I feel like once Triple H came down to NXT and switched it, and Dusty Rhodes, like really had so much passion for his students that he was teaching, and William Regal, I feel like those were the three that were just like, you know what? Let’s give the women an opportunity to show that they can shine. And the first ever women’s match that I saw at NXT was like, Paige and Emma, and they had, like, 20 minutes, and I was like, Oh my God, I’ve never seen that. I want that. I have a drive for this. And then eventually I just kept going and going and going until I had a four-way match with Charlotte, Becky, and Bayley, and the fans said that we stole that show… And then I became NXT Women’s Champion and had that match with Bailey and Barclays. And I felt like, after that match, women’s wrestling kind of just elevated and changed the landscape.”
The full interview is available on the Marking Out with MVP & Dwayne Swayze podcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Marking Out with MVP & Dwayne Swayze with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
