Ex-WWE star told horror ankle injury was 'career ending' year before AEW debut

An ex-WWE star has claimed her career was nearly ended after a horror ankle injury she suffered last year.

Mercedes Mone – formerly Sasha Banks in WWE – debuted for All Elite Wrestling this week after spending nearly a full year out of the ring. Having left WWE in 2022, she spent a few months in Japan as well as having a match in the United States for New Japan Pro Wrestling's US-based show.

Battling for the NJPW Strong Women's Championship against Willow Nightingale, she suffered a broken ankle and had to be carried out of the ring to the back for medical help. And now, having returned to wrestling with her AEW debut earlier this week, she has told how medical professionals told her that the injury could have been “career ending”.

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Speaking to Renee Paquette on AEW's Close Up show, she said: “I tried to stand up (during the match) and was like 'dang, there's something wrong,' (but I) kept trying to finish them match and went up for my finisher was was like 'dang, this is broken . . . damn'.

“Everything changed in an instant. I couldn't even walk out to all of my friends who were out in the parking lot waiting for me. I had to be wheeled to my Uber and my friend had to carry me from that to my hotel and push me in a chair so I could go to the bathroom.

“I finally got the call that I was broken and I needed surgery . . . I didn't know how long I was going to be gone from something that was my whole life.”