AEW star is retiring after 25 years; announces 2026 as her final year in wrestling

A major AEW star will hang up their boots later this year as a full-time wrestler. 45-year-old star Mercedes Martinez has been one of the most experienced women the Jacksonville-based promotion had to offer. She was part of WWE until 2021. After she was released from her contract, Tony Khan signed her.

The former WWE star is known for her ROH Women's World Championship reign in 2022. She elevated the title in just a few months. She was last seen on TV in December 2023. A 2024 report confirmed that despite being absent, she was still All Elite. She has been active on the independent circuit in the past few years.

Mercedes Martinez recently took to X/Twitter and made a major revelation regarding her career. The 45-year-old stated that 2026 will be her last as a full-time wrestler.

"2026. Different mindset. Different fire. This is my last year as a full-time ACTIVE professional wrestler. No contracts. No agents. No creative. Just me - and everything I've earned over 25 damn years in this business," she announced.

---

AEW star Mercedes Martinez might become a coach after retiring

The former ROH Women's World Champion has been active for over two decades and has plenty of experience, as she's wrestled in many different promotions.

In 2023, Mercedes Martinez spoke with Poisonrana and claimed that she would like to work as a producer or coach in the future to train young wrestling minds.

“I believe that going forward, my next step — and I really truly hope that this will be my next step — will be to help the new generation of wrestlers in a company like AEW or wherever I land as an agent, as a producer, and as a coach for that company... [I want] to help their women talent feel comfortable, have a producer or an agent that is female to understand and speak to them,” said Martinez.

It will be interesting to see if Mercedes returns to AEW in her last year as an active wrestler.

Read all the hottest WWE news from Sportskeeda by choosing us as your preferred source. Click HERE.

Edited by Sayantan Niyogi