In unexpected news, veteran wrestler Mercedes Martinez has declared that 2026 will mark her final year competing full-time. In a heartfelt post on X, the 45-year-old emphasized that she would run her farewell run independently, without contracts or external creative input. However, as she emphasized “full-time,” it appears there may be one-off matches in the future.
Martinez, real name Jazmin Benitez, began wrestling in 2000 after training under ECW’s Jason Knight, following an injury playing college basketball. A dominant force on the independent circuit for over two decades, Martinez captured multiple titles, including two Shimmer Championships, three WSU Championships, the Shine Championship, the Phoenix of Rise, and a ROH Women’s World Championship reign. However, most fans likely remember her best for her time in WWE, where, after working in NXT, she was briefly part of the villainous Retribution faction under the ring name Retaliation.
