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Veteran indy female performer Mercedes Martinez joined VOC Nation In the Room this week to talk about her time working with WWE at the Mae Young Classic, the difference between today’s generation and female wrestlers of the past, and much more.
You can hear the entire interview at http://vocnation.com; here are some highlights of what Mercedes had to say:
On constantly looking to learn how to get better: “In wrestling you’re always learning. You never ever stop learning. I take a little bit of everything that I’ve learned and I try to gel it together. If I can’t do something in the ring then I learn it. I still get nervous before every match. Afa told me that the day you stop getting nervous before every match is the day that you need to retire. It means you don’t care anymore and you’re just doing it for the money.”
On how she puts together a match: “I tend to make sure that everything I do (in the ring) is realistic. Every move that I do in there is a real move and can really hurt you. I want the fans to believe that when I put someone in a submission move that in reality I can break their bones… Training is not just in a ring; it’s studying tapes and learning what kind of wrestler that you want to be. There is a lot more to wrestling than just in ring training.”
On working with WWE at the Mae Young Classic, and whether she expects to join the active roster: “Right now the highlight of my career is wrestling Meiko over at the Mae Young Classic because I never thought that would happen. Just for me to have that chance to have a match in front of the WWE Universe, that right there is the top moment for me… I went in (to WWE) with an open mind (on what it would do for my future). It cements my legacy and it helps build on my name and my brand. (WWE) had really high respect for me and treated me with so much professionalism. WWE has so much talent on their roster, I’d be surprised if they’re hiring any new females right now.’
On being trained by Afa: “He’s a straight shooter, he pulls no punches. If he doesn’t like something, he’ll tell you. In this generation, wrestlers believe their own hype because they don’t have anyone shooting from the hip with them. A lot of people don’t have thick skin anymore. People need to have thick skin and take positive criticism. You have to have someone that can tell you the truth, because that’s the only way you’re going to get better.”
On today’s female wrestlers vs the previous generation: “We helped pave the way to where wrestling is now. Nothing was handed to us. We had to work hard, we had to build our reputation, and we had to go through a lot more than these females are going through now and then some. A lot of these females wrestlers now are getting things handed to them because of us. We helped get it here. We helped get women wrestlers the respect that people will look at them not for sex appeal, but because they can work and bust their (butt) in that ring. It’s a good time to be a female wrestler.”
In the Room airs live on VOC Nation every Tuesday night at 9PM ET with Pro Wrestling Illustrated contributor Brady Hicks and crew, legendary guests, and listener calls.
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