AEW's Mercedes Mone Has High Praise For WWE Superstar: "Absolute Legend"

Zack Heydorn | Oct 15, 2024

AEW TBS Mercedes Mone comes out for AEW All Out. /

Mercedes Mone may work for AEW, but she credited a legacy WWE Superstar for providing her with the guidance she needed to succeed in pro wrestling.

In the newest edition of her Mone Mag newsletter, Mercedes Mone named Natalya as a signature influence as she came up in the WWE. Mone transparently talked about Natalya as a coach and how she works to have the same type of impact on younger wrestlers that she works with.

"Let me start with Natalya, an absolute legend in her own right," Mone said. She's been wrestling longer than me and has helped shape so many careers, including mine. My first dark matches, some of my first NXT matches — Natalya was right there with me. I still remember being in the ring with her, and she would whisper things like 'You're doing great' or 'Amazing job,' honestly, that meant the world to me. Those little moments of encouragement, they stick with you.

"When I step in the ring with less-experienced talent, I try to pass that same energy along. It's all about building confidence because trust me, we've all been there."

Mercedes Mone is the current TBS Champion in AEW, but a former multiple time women's champion in WWE as Sasha Banks. She's headlined WrestleMania and was one half of the first-ever WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.

Mone infamously left WWE in 2022. She and fellow tag team partner, Naomi, walked out of an episode of WWE Raw due to creative differences. Mone would go on to work for New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stardom before signing with AEW earlier this year.

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