WWE makes a massive change to the core RETRIBUTION lineup
PWInsider has confirmed that Mercedes Martinez will no longer be a part of RETRIBUTION as the WWE has sent her back to NXT.
Here's what PWInsider noted in their report:
Mercedes Martinez, who was just moved to the Raw roster as Retribution's Retaliation is no longer part of the group, PWInsider.com has learned. Martinez is being shifted back to the WWE NXT roster
It's interesting to note that Mustafa Ali posted a tweet earlier in the day in which Martinez was noticeably absent.
As reported earlier, there were many signs that pretty much confirmed Martinez's abrupt removal from the faction. The biggest sign was that Martinez had not created a new social media profile like the rest of the members. T-BAR (Dominik Dijakovic), Mace (Dio Maddon), Slapjack (Shane Thorne), and Recokining (Mia Yim) set up their new Twitter handles to push the RETRIBUTION angle forward on social media.
Based on the trademarks filed by WWE, Martinez was supposed to be known as Retaliation, but the change never reflected on social media.
Martinez made a handful of appearances along with the stable on RAW, and she was expected to be one of the group's core members going forward.
What's next for Mercedes Martinez and RETRIBUTION?
WWE seems to have changed the plans, and the 39-year-old veteran will resume working on the Black-and-Gold brand. It would be interesting to see whether Martinez does get replaced on the upcoming episodes of RAW. The company could get someone like Chelsea Green or Kayden Carter to fill up the vacant position. WWE could also choose to stick with Mia Yim as the sole female Superstar in the faction.
The RETRIBUTION angle received a much-needed boost on the last episode of RAW as Mustafa Ali revealed himself as the leader of the stable.
As for Martinez, it's still unclear how WWE will utilize the Superstar upon her return to NXT. The seasoned wrestler is well-respected in the business as she has worked on the indie circuit for a very long time before joining the WWE. While her experience will come in handy in NXT, the Superstar might see her removal from RETRIBUTION as a missed opportunity.