Mercedes Martinez Shoots On The Problems With WWE's Retribution Idea

Released star Mercedes Martinez opens up on WWE's miserable Retribution flop.

Retribution WWE
WWE.com

Ex-WWE and current Impact star Mercedes Martinez knew deep down that the Retribution gimmick wasn't for her.

Martinez told the 'Bell To Belles' podcast that alarm bells started ringing as soon as WWE's lack of communication became clear; Mercedes thinks the group's members should've had more of a say when it came to designing their own masks and general appearances.

Also, Martinez really hated wrestling with the mask on. That was something WWE viewed as essential, but Mercedes struggled because she suffers from asthma. The whole experience left a sour taste in her mouth - Martinez told the pod that she "just didn't feel it in [her] heart" and didn't think she should be a part of WWE's plans.

Advertisement

Her part in Retribution was doomed to fail.

The gimmick trundled along post-Mercedes, but it never really went anywhere. Leading members like T-Bar and Mace have since split and are now working on different shows. Meanwhile, Slapjack (Shane Thorne) and Reckoning (Mia Yim) are either waiting to be repackaged or have left their old stable names behind completely.

Advertisement

Martinez believes WWE could've made something of Retribution had they let talent be more hands on.

In this post: 
Retribution
 
Posted On: 
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.