20 Best Women's Wrestlers In The World Today
17. Mercedes Martinez
If there’s one word that encapsulates everything Mercedes Martinez is about, it’s “meanness.”
The 16-year veteran projects an aura of intimidation that nobody else in the Mae Young Classic (Shayna Baszler included) could match. Her heel work is as effective as it gets, and she always looks like she’s not only trying to defeat her opponents, but hurt them. The likes of Alexa Bliss and Charlotte are tremendous heels, but they’d do well to grab a few pointers from Martinez’s back catalogue.
Mercedes made it all the way to the MYC semi finals, where she was defeated by Baszler. Away from WWE, she has been SHIMMER Champion for well over 300 days, and is widely regarded as one of the most consistent performers on the American indie circuit.
With good size, power, and significant technical chops, Martinez is one of the most believable performers on the scene, though she’s never had the opportunity of a prolonged run with one of America’s biggest promotions. Her age (36) may prevent this from happening now, but she’d be an immediate benefit to NXT if she signed tomorrow.