AEW Star Mercedes Mone Opens Up About 2023 Injury

Last week was a momentous occasion for Mercedes Mone, as the former WWE star made her AEW debut in front of a raucous Boston, Massachusetts crowd. The return was a long time coming for Mone after an ankle injury in May of last year knocked her out of action. Speaking to ESPN, Mone reflected on the severity of the injury and her reaction to it today.

"I can't watch that video back," Mone said. "It scares me. It makes me nervous. I don't know if I slipped. I don't know if it was a freak accident. I don't know if Willow [Nightingale] pushed me on purpose. I really don't know."

It seems likely that Mone's reference to Nightingale was in character, setting up a future storyline between the two. At the end of last week's "AEW Dynamite," Mone came to Nightingale's aid against Julia Hart and Skye Blue, but it seems likely that a rematch between the two will happen down the road.

As of now, Mone's first AEW match has yet to be determined. However, the company's next pay-per-view, AEW Dynasty, is scheduled to take place on April 21, which could be an opportune moment for her in-ring return.

As for last year's injury, Mone believes her body may have needed some of the extra time off. While she felt fine physically before getting hurt, she needed more time to recover from the fallout of her infamous WWE exit alongside Naomi.

"I think maybe my body and the universe [were] just like, 'Maybe you're just going a little too fast. Maybe you need to slow down. You're not done healing inside,'" Mone continued.

At one point, Mone had been told by doctors that she should consider retirement following the injury. However, that's not something that the former IWGP Women's Champion ever seriously considered.

"I didn't take no for an answer," Mone stated. "And I pushed hard every single day. Rehabbing, working out, getting my mind right, meditating. Because again, I wasn't sure when I was going to come back. I just knew that I was going to come back someday."

Mone is set to appear live once again on this week's "Dynamite." Following her debut last week, Mone teased several names that she was excited to share the ring with, including Nightingale, Hart, Blue, and AEW Women's World Champion Toni Storm.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit ESPN with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.