"I'm not going to get hurt!" - Melina comments on the Armageddon 2006 Ladder incident
Melina has opened up on details surrounding the ladder match at WWE Armageddon 2006, which saw Joey Mercury severely injured after a botched ladder spot.
The now-infamous match is widely remembered for causing a ghastly injury to the face of MNM member Joey Mercury. His face was struck by a ladder during a spot involving Jeff Hardy and fellow MNM member Johnny Nitro (now John Morrison). Mercury was quickly removed from the match to receive medical attention, where it was discovered his orbital bone and nose had been shattered.
In a recent appearance on the PartsFUNknown YouTube channel, Melina recalled that WWE management had asked her to stay away from ringside, for fear of her getting hurt. At the time, Melina disagreed with WWE staff, in what we can now see to be a twist of irony.
Here is what Melina had to say:
"I walked them out, but then they told me to come back in. And I was just like, this is stupid. Because they told me you’re not allowed out there because you might get hurt. I’m like, I’m not stupid. I’m not going to get hurt! And then the nose thing happened. She might have been right! The crazy thing is, is that Joey was the safe one, and John was the crazy flippy-do guy. So I was like, that’s the one I wouldn’t expect to get hurt, the other one’s the one that usually gets hurt."
What is Melina doing today?
Upon splitting from MNM, Melina would go on to enjoy a stellar career in WWE, winning multiple Women's championships in the process.
After being released by WWE, she would move on to the independent circuit, where she would also enjoy great success. In late 2019, she made her debut for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and would wrestle only a handful of matches for the promotion before the global pandemic struck.
As for the other members of MNM, Joey Mercury (Adam Birch) has worked on-and-off for WWE in a variety of roles over the years. John Morrison, however, is currently a regular face on WWE television, alongside new WWE Champion The Miz.