Mercedes Martinez Announces 2026 as Final Full-Time Year

Veteran professional wrestler Mercedes Martinez announced on January 1, 2026, that the coming year will mark her final full-time run in the ring after a 25-year career spanning independent promotions and major leagues.

In a personal statement posted to social media, Martinez detailed her decision to step away from active, full-time competition at the end of 2026. She emphasized that her farewell tour would operate independently, free from contracts, agents, or scripted storylines. "This is my last year as a fulltime ACTIVE professional wrestler. No contracts. No agents. No creative. Just me and everything I've earned over 25 damn years in this business," she wrote.

Martinez began her in-ring career in 2001, building a reputation for toughness and longevity across the industry. She gained prominence in promotions like SHIMMER and Ring of Honor, where she held the ROH Women's World Championship from May to December 2022. Her path included stints with WWE from 2020 to 2021, during which she competed primarily in NXT and briefly appeared on the main roster as part of the Retribution faction. She also wrestled for TNA, later known as Impact Wrestling, in 2021 and 2022, and signed...