AEW & WWE’s Mercedes Martinez Opens Up About Devastating Career-Ending Injury

Mercedes Martinez was in the midst of a retirement tour from pro wrestling when disaster struck. A devastating ACL injury in August put her out of the game after more than 25 years. Now the veteran performer, who helped blaze a trail for women in the business today, faces an upcoming knee surgery and rehabilitation. However, in order to even get everything scheduled, she needs to pay the tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket upfront. 

This left the 45-year-old with no choice but to launch a GoFundMe campaign aiming to raise $25,000 Sewts to help cover the medical expenses and living bills during the long recovery process. Fans and colleagues have begun donating to the cause. For Martinez, the show of support really exemplifies the impact she made. The multi-time champion has fought and clawed for every opportunity, helping inspire a new generation. She saw a dream realized after two decades of blood, sweat, and tears signing with WWE in 2020. 

Following the relatively brief run, Martinez joined All Elite Wrestling where she also worked matches under the Ring of Honor brand. Her contract expired in January and was not renewed. The same month she made the conscious decision to make 2026 the last year as a full-time wrestler. Unfortunately, it ended prematurely. 

Here, Martinez opens up about her career, tough road ahead and harsh reality of pro wrestling. 

You’re known as being tough as nails. A proud person. I know it must have been so hard for you to launch the GoFundMe after you got injured. 

Mercedes Martinez: It was definitely not something I wanted to do. It would have been a last resort. I’m stubborn, I like to do things on my own. I’m so independent. For life in general, I don’t ask for help. Something like this, I did not expect in this plan of mine for this year at all. An injury was the last thing on my mind. I tried to make sure I’m conscious of what I do in the ring, so asking for help and public help at that, where people will literally dog you down. The best way to put it is it was hard because you’re going to get those people and fans and just everybody who’s going to be like, “Well, why? Why are you asking for help? You’re this superstar. You have all this money. You should be able to pay for this. Where’s your health insurance?” People don’t understand that as an independent contractor, whether they’re wrestling or not, everything does come out of your pocket in healthcare in this system. 

Everything in this economy is really expensive and just privatized. So, for me to ask for help, knowing that this is the only way that I can come back was really, really hard. I cried tears knowing that I have to do this and ask the public for help. And in my head, anything and everything is going to help, because I have to dip into what I’ve saved in the last six, seven years while contracted. I have to dip into that savings account. I have to dip into investments. I have to figure out how to pay for life in general, your rent, your cars, your insurance, food, bills, and all of this. And then you have this huge monstrosity of a health care bill that has to take a big, big chunk out of that, upfront at that. So it was definitely a very hard hitting reality of what a lot of people go through just in life, and for me, it was definitely hard. I still get choked up about it because I don’t ask for help. I never did, never will, but this is one of those times where I think everyone just kind of said, “Just do it. Whatever you get out of it is what you get. You’ll know that people love you.” So I threw it out there, and here we are.

What has the response meant to you? 

I think every day when I get notifications, it’s one of those things where I’m touched. I really am. I think I’ve been more emotional since this injury than I’ve ever been in my entire life. Just the outpouring of love and support, and anyone who’s donating, I think they genuinely just want to help. And, for me, it’s very humbling to know that I’ve had this impact on people, whether they’re fans, co-workers, just the wrestling community. For them to even chip in, it shows me that at least I know I’ve done something with my life and this career. That I’ve done something to touch people’s lives that they’re giving back to help me. One of my friends said, “You gave almost 26 years of your life, at least this way they’re giving it back to you two fold and helping you…I know it’s a big amount, but people don’t understand how much the surgery really costs upfront, and not including rehab, and not including the things that you have to pay for, the crutches, the braces, the meds. 

For me, it’s a little bit more than just that. It’s also me being without an income because wrestling is what pays the bills. And when you don’t have that income coming in, how are you going to pay your bills? Yes, you have a safety net. Yes, I have a safety net, but I shouldn’t have to deplete it all the way because then what am I going to do after I recover? I won’t have anything, no matter how much you save, you still have these bills. And it’s just the way life works. You get hit with something this hard and seven, eight years of saving for a good nest goes. The love and support that I’ve gotten up to this point is humbling. It hits me to the core and every night that I go to bed  I’m so grateful, I’m so blessed. I don’t take anything for granted. I know people work hard for the money and for them to give me some of that. To help me, it touches me a lot. It really does.

Your contract with AEW ended in January, but that hasn’t stopped people from asking why Tony Khan hasn’t stepped in? What is your reaction when you hear that? 

I’m not contracted. Tony doesn’t owe me anything. He has given me an opportunity for four years being under contract with him, and as a professional wrestler, living my dream out. Do I expect him to pay these bills? No, I don’t. And it’s the misconception that everyone thinks he should. “He should at least do that.” He doesn’t have to. Does he have the money? Sure. But I’m not one to ask anybody for money, so if he wants to chip in, go right ahead, boss. But I don’t see it as he has to. I haven’t heard from him. My contract ended, so the way I look at it is, once the contract ends, your business relationship ends at the same time. It doesn’t have to be anything personal for that, because he hired me as a worker. I don’t have a personal relationship with the man. 

I am blessed and am grateful that he gave me an opportunity to showcase my skills for four years. And I don’t know why people are so up in arms about the company or Tony not paying for something for this. He has no obligation. He has other wrestlers. He has to be mindful. He has his own business. He has his own stuff. Am I mad about it? No, because it’s not an obligation for him. Like, I don’t look for him to help. For me, it’s like, “Thank you, but it’s not his obligation to you.” I am not under his company anymore so I have to do this on my own because at the end of the day, I’m an independent contractor. I have to feed myself. I have to do everything on my own. So he’s not obligated to do anything. 

What can the pro wrestling business do more to support its talent in these situations?

I think if you’re contracted with the big companies, they should offer health insurance. You know, to break down this wall, even with WWE, yes, they’ll give you health insurance. But not enough to do your normal stuff, so you still have to pay out-of-pocket for health insurance, because at the end of the day, you’re an independent contractor. You’re a freelancer. They’re paying you to do a job. Regardless of whether you’re under a contract or not, your health insurance has to come out of your pocket. It’s WWE, AEW, all of that. So even under contract for AEW, I had to have my own health insurance. I have to pay for that out of my own pocket. Yes, AEW gives you a salary, but they don’t offer health insurance. They’ll help you in the marketplace in this healthcare system of ours. They’ll help you try to find something that’s working in your budget and for what you need. But at the end of the day, it still comes out of your pocket. That $350, $400, whatever health insurance you need for you and your family because wrestlers do have families. They have to pay for that, and health insurance is privatized. 

When I didn’t do this full-time and worked in regular retail, if I was working at Walmart or Home Depot, they offer the insurance. So you still have to pay out of your pocket. It just comes out of your paycheck. This is the same thing working in professional wrestling. If you still have to pay for that insurance, they’re just paying you a salary for the work that you’re supposed to do. You have to pay for your insurance. If you get hurt on their dime, yes, they’re going to take care of you. And I think that’s where people and fans don’t realize. If I was still under contract right now, yes, they are obligated to pay, but at the same time, if I got hurt on the independent scene, they are not obligated because I was not under their umbrella. I think these companies have to, one way or another, help you with that health insurance. There has got to be something where they can. So yes, it’s going to come out of your pocket, but if you’re doing independent wrestling under an umbrella and you’re contracted, they should at least help pay for that as well. 

Do you believe a union would work? 

I believe in a union. I believe that we should be taken care of in a union sense and be helped out long-term. Or offer us better alternatives. help us out in that sense. I think that there should be a fund if you do get injured outside of wrestling in the independent scene and you’re under contract, I think they should help you out in that sense, because if they don’t, then it still comes out of your pocket. And then it hurts them at the long run because now you’re not being utilized. You can’t do what you’re supposed to be doing and are hired to do. So, I do think that the company should offer more in the sense of a healthcare scenario, especially because wrestling is high risk. It’s just as high risk as basketball, football and all these sports because wrestling is a sport. What people fail to realize is that ring. That ring is not as comfy as people think it is. We’re bouncing, and we’re in a car crash every single time we step in that ring.

You have the potential to injure your leg, sprain and ankle, break your ankle, hyperextend your knee, or in my case, tear the ACL. It is just the way it works. It’s a risk that you take being in that ring, and we put our bodies on the line. It’s high risk, which means that your insurance is a little bit higher than normal people, because you are a high risk, and you have that potential to get injured. You have to be able to pay for that. So, I think companies should help with that. And I think the independent companies, all these indie companies should have something in place, at least insurance-wise, to help whoever they’re hiring to do their show. New York has a commission. You have to get checked out before you can even wrestle. You have to get cleared before you can wrestle for the company. They have insurance in place for events, so if you do get hurt, they have insurance to cover them and to help cover you. Something is better than nothing. And I think most companies and independent companies should do that.

What’s the timeline as far as when you’re going to get the surgery or hope to get the surgery and then the turnaround time? Then what’s next? 

I scheduled it for October 15. The reason for that gives me at least a month to rack up the bills because it is a very expensive surgery. I do have to pay this out of the pocket. It’s about $11,000 just for the surgery itself. It’s ridiculous. And I have to pay that upfront before they come and slice me open. So, that’s where the GoFundMe comes, because I have a month to come up with this. And If I don’t have the money, I have to push it further down the line, and then there’s more potential for another injury. Or it’s healing up the wrong way or something. So, in a month from now, October 15 is when it’s scheduled. Hopefully, the GoFundMe helps out. I have to dip into whatever I have as well. The timeframe is anywhere from 9-12 months for recovery. And that’s for everything with rehab. And it could be shortened. The recovery time frame can be shortened just based on how aggressively I can do rehab. So rehab is also another issue, because that has to be paid per session. So if I’m supposed to do, let’s say, three rehab sessions a week, I have to pay three times. If I can’t afford it, then you’re missing a week here and there. Then you have to do your own stuff at home and that prolongs the recovery. 

And then you have to think of the doctor appointments in between. So it’s a mental thing right now. It’s financially stressful, but it’s going to happen. I think the universe is going to make everything work out. I do want to get back to the ring, but not wrestling because those days are gone now. But I do want to do stuff backstage, producing and aging. I do that now with a company called Rising Stars Women’s Wrestling. I help produce the show, agent the show, book the girls, and that’s what I love to do, coach the girls. I do skull sessions, help the girls online, so there are other things I can do to stay in this business because I love it. I don’t want to get back in the ring after this injury, just because in the back of my head, it’s always going to be like,” What if I get hurt now” I don’t know if it’s worth the risk for me anymore after almost 26 years of doing it. But that’s the timeframe, anyhow. October 15 for surgery, about a 9-12 month timeframe for recovery. It could be shortened based on how aggressively I can do this rehab, and everything is going smoothly.

I remember talking to you during the Mae Young Classic where after almost 20 years was finally signed to WWE. You’ve also been to AEW and done all these great things.  How do you kind of sum up the career? Anything that you wish you had done that you never got a chance to do but didn’t? 

It’s one of those things where I kind of didn’t realize how big of an impact wrestling has on my life. It’s taken me to places that I’ve never been. I’ve met some incredible people. I finally realized my dream of being in WWE once I hit 40 years old, almost 20 years in the business. So that was a highlight, and there was nothing higher that I could do for that. And then when I was working for AEW. That was great. I was blessed for the opportunity that Tony gave me. There’s nothing more that I could do. I think I’ve done everything that I’ve set out to do, and more than I ever imagined in my career. I’m always a big believer that the universe is going to give me something that’s always going to shock me in this business. It always does. And I think that my peers and the co-workers and the fans, they appreciated all that I had to offer in the ring. I always say that I was one of a kind. I’m that OG that has been up and down in this business, but if there’s anything that I needed to do for this last run, one more time. I did just to have one more match, and it’s the match that I’ve been advocating for forever in my career, and that was with Nattie. That was the one match that I’ve been trying to get, whether I was with WWE, even if I was able to do the indies. She was doing some indies, and I was like, “Great, I’m not under an umbrella anymore, but I could do this.” If there was a chance to. Unfortunately, the time got cut short, and I don’t think I’ll ever get that match. So that’s the only thing, but I don’t regret anything in my career. 

Everything happens for a reason. Opportunities are presented and it is up to me to take those opportunities that seem fit for me And for my morals and for what I believe women’s wrestling should be. It wasn’t easy. It was hard, but I needed to go through that hard stuff so other females don’t have to go through what I went through. And I think that was where my trajectory kind of changed and my focus changed. So it wasn’t just wrestling in the big leagues. It was also changing the landscape, and I helped change the landscape of wrestling. I think I did a lot of that. I think I helped propel it to where it is today. 

Even if I wasn’t mainstream until 2020, I think what I’ve done before is what helped get people to understand what women’s wrestling is and what it is today. It’s phenomenal what the females are doing today, and I just still want to be a part of it backstage and help cultivate the future generations. I’m very proud of what I’ve done. There’s nothing else that I could have done except now maybe just help the newer generation, and that’s where my next chapter begins. It’s starting now. A knee injury is not going to stop me. It just stops me from being in the ring. But I think the next chapter is going to be that, and I’m excited for this next chapter in my life after I heal up. I have to get through this craziness, but I’m very proud of what I’ve done. And I think younger Mercedes will be like, “You did great.” There’s no regrets in my life at all. I try not to have any. But that Nattie match, man. 

Dang, you sure you can’t get back in that one ring when you get this surgery? 

You know what? You know what? If there was an opportunity after I recover, and I feel great and can get back in wrestling shape, I would lace up the boots one more time just for that match though. Other than that, there is no match because that’s the only thing that was missing and that was this whole last run tour was trying to get that one match. But other than that I’m happy with the way my career went. I’m very blessed and very grateful for the way it is, and I did it my way, and that’s the best thing about it, is that I picked and chose what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it. I picked that trajectory. I followed the road that I wanted to follow, and I didn’t let anyone tell me I couldn’t do it.

For more information or to donate to Mercedes Martinez’s GoFundMe page, visit here.