While still working for WWE as Sasha Banks, Mercedes Mone found one of her biggest successes outside of the squared circle via her casting as Koska Reeves on The Mandalorian.

Originally cast in the role by Jon Favreau after the director enjoyed her appearance on Hot Ones, Reeves was a role that transcended wrestling and brought Mone a new legion of fans, proving that she had a reach outside of what WWE was willing to offer both at the time and in the future.

And yet, according to Mone in an appearance on Hot 97, WWE really didn't want to see the “CEO” shine outside of their product, going so far as to pull some passive-aggressive booking decisions to try to dissuade her shine.

“Acting, I really didn’t see it coming because I didn’t know how those doors of opportunities were going to come, especially in WWE. I love WWE, but they tried so hard to not make me do The Mandalorian and put me on house shows when I was supposed to film. It was pulling teeth just to get on that show, just to be a part of that show, so with these new doors of opportunity here at AEW, I have all the time in the world to go do acting and more. Tony will pick me up on the private jet to take me to the shows and back to the other show to film. So it’s so beautiful, it’s so cool that I get these new doors, and I feel like it’s just the universe being like, ‘We want you to be this beautiful superstar that we see you as,'” Mercedes Mone told Hot 97 via PWMania.

“I know it’s hard cuz everyone’s successful. They’re all kind of in their own league but doing the same thing, so I just want to be Mercedes Mone. Being the first woman to do it like the men are doing, like The Rock, John Cena, and Dave Bautista, I don’t look at just one of their careers; I would love all of them and more.”

Dang, no wonder Mone, and Naomi walked out of WWE when they weren't being treated respectfully; unlike the men, when the “CEO” proved that her reach could extend outside of WWE, the promotion tried to cool her off in order to be the ultimate arbiter of popularity. If becoming a true “Boss” is Mone's game, then she picked the right place to sign, as Tony Khan wants nothing more than to make her into the biggest star imaginable.

Mercedes Mone is excited to wrestle on her terms in AEW.

Elsewhere in her appearance on Hot 97, Mercedes Mone was asked if her love of professional wrestling ever waned over her illustrious career or whether she struggled with self-doubt during her time away from the ring.

While Mone did admit that she did have her doubts, she is ultimately incredibly proud that she didn't quit on her dreams.

“Only within the last two years when I was going through leaving WWE. I'm like, ‘Should I be done with wrestling? This is not fun for me. All this noise is not fun.' I was like, ‘No, you love this. It's not the noise. It's the noise. It's noise in the ring, noise in the performance, noise when you go out there in front of the crowd. It's not this internet noise, the politics, you can work through that,'” Mercedes Mone told Hot 97 via Fightful.

“There are going to be politics everywhere. It's how you work through that. That's how I grew from a legit boss to a CEO. I wanted to take control of my life and my career. Two years ago, I was really questioning myself if I should still do this. ‘You're amazing. You still have so much more to give and do. You can't quit on your dreams now.'”

Turning her attention to why she quit WWE in the first place, Mone let it be known that the decision came down to doing what was right for her, as she wanted to push herself and open new doors for herself.

“There are so many reasons. The biggest thing was listening to my heart and soul. Something didn't feel right that day. How we were talked to didn't settle in my heart,” Mone explained. “I just instantly knew, if I wasn't going to take control of my life right here and now then I was never going to be happy there by having someone talk to me the way that they do or feeling like you don't belong. Okay. I've been doing this for 14 years. To feel this low, my soul is like, ‘No, get up. Go.' It was the hardest decision. WWE was always my dream when I was 10 years old. To be with that company for ten years. To walk out was the hardest decision I made in my whole life. Now, it's the greatest decision because of where I am today. The TBS Champion. The highest-paid woman in women's wrestling history. I walked out of that door and walked into so many more doors that were open to me.”

Even if Mone wasn't sure about how her run would go after leaving WWE, it's safe to say she found a new spot where she can be truly appreciated, both financially and creatively, and every new Casamigos bottle she receives from George Clooney proves that point. Like booking or not, Mone is where she wants to be, and she is reaping the benefits of her hard work as a result.