Mercedes Martinez Announces 2026 As Final Full-Time Year In Wrestling – Mercedes Martinez has officially announced that 2026 will be the final year of her career as a full-time active professional wrestler. The 45-year-old veteran, whose career spans nearly 25 years, shared the news through social media, making it clear that this last chapter will be done entirely on her own terms, without contracts, agents, or creative direction.
Martinez described the upcoming year as a personal farewell run driven by experience, pride, and passion rather than obligation.
“2026. Different mindset. Different fire. This is my last year as a full-time ACTIVE professional wrestler,” Martinez wrote. “No contracts. No agents. No creative. Just me – and everything I’ve earned over 25 damn years in this business. Wrestling gave me everything. It broke me. Built me. Tested me. Somehow, [it] still made me fall in love with it again. 2025 wasn’t about being showcased. It was about going back to the indies, back to the grind, back to the reason I started and remembering exactly who the hell I am.”
Martinez began her career in the early 2000s, with her first recorded match taking place in 2001. Over the years, she built a reputation as one of the most respected and physically intense performers in women’s wrestling. Her resume includes runs in WWE, AEW, and Ring of Honor, along with a consistent presence on the independent circuit that helped shape multiple generations of talent.
Beyond competition, Martinez emphasized that a major focus of her final full-time year will be giving back to the industry through mentorship and teaching.
“Giving back. Teaching. Helping the next generation. Passing on what was given to me the hard way. That part means everything,” she continued. “So 2026 gets one more year of my body, my heart, and my fight. One more year of scars, sweat, pain, and pride. One more year of showing up and giving everything I’ve got because that’s the only way I’ve ever done this.”
She also acknowledged the uncertainty of life beyond wrestling, while embracing the grind that has defined her career.
“The last few years flew by. I don’t know what’s next. All I’ve ever known is wrestling, grinding, and hustling. And for one more year…that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Martinez heads into 2026 with momentum from the independent scene. Her most recent match took place on November 29, 2025, at NHPW Final Chapter 16, where she defeated Rachael Ellering. While she has stated she is operating without contracts, Martinez remains listed on AEW’s official roster page as of January 2026, despite not appearing on AEW television since late 2023.
WrestlingAttitude.Com will continue to follow Martinez’s farewell run as one of the most influential veterans of her generation prepares for her final full-time year.
Mercedes Martinez Announces 2026 As Final Full-Time Year In Wrestling
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