• John Cena’s Father Reveals What He Told Mercedes Moné When She Was About To Quit Wrestling
Mercedes Moné (fka Sasha Banks) walked out of WWE in 2022 after creative disagreements. Throughout most of her main roster run, she was booked inconsistently, which played a major role in her decision to leave the company.
The CEO joined AEW in 2024 and has been enjoying a very successful run there, as well as on the independent circuit since departing WWE.
While speaking on Best For Business, John Cena Sr. detailed an interaction with Moné at an indy event and revealed what he told her when she was on the verge of retiring from pro wrestling.
“I remember doing a show with her for Chris Setaro in Powerhouse Wrestling. She said, ‘I don’t know, I might give it up.’
I said ‘No, don’t! You don’t realize what you have.’ She had so much ability, but it’s awful hard on the indies. It’s not an easy fight out there.
It’s very easy to be defeated. I used to tell everybody, and I still do, don’t do that, only one person is going to defeat you in this business – it’s you.”
Moné currently holds the AEW TBS Championship as well as multiple other titles from promotions all over the world.
• “I’m the most famous wrestler to have never been signed to WWE” – AEW Star
Former AEW World Champion MJF made one of the boldest claims of his career during his interview with Fightful, stating that his rise to the top of professional wrestling without ever being signed by WWE is something he takes immense pride in – and something he believes no one else has ever accomplished at his level.
While reflecting on where he stands in the industry at age 29, MJF framed his success as something entirely self-made. “I like to think of the fact that at this moment, I think there’s an argument to be made that I’m the most famous professional wrestler in the history of the business to have never been signed to WWE,” MJF said. Rather than presenting it as a fluke or circumstance, he emphasized that it was the result of deliberate choices and sustained work outside wrestling’s largest company.
MJF went on to explain why that distinction matters to him personally, describing it as a point of pride rather than a limitation. “And I take a great amount of pride in that because that’s DIY,” he said. “That takes effort.” He added that building his name without the WWE machine behind him required not only talent, but commitment to carving his own path in the industry.
At the same time, MJF acknowledged that his success hasn’t come in isolation and that fan support – even when he openly resents it – played a role in elevating his profile. He delivered that acknowledgment in his trademark abrasive style, saying it also took “these disgusting troglodite marks fully marching along with me on my beaten path, which they have so far.”
The comment fit into a broader reflection on his career trajectory and ambitions, as MJF made it clear he views his current status as only a checkpoint rather than a destination. Despite being a former AEW World Champion and one of the most recognizable faces outside WWE, he stressed that he is far from satisfied and still chasing greater legacy-defining accomplishments. “AEW had me in my 20s,” he said. “They’re about to have me in my 30s. And have I accomplished more than anybody has in that period of time? Probably. But I’m not satiated.”
