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Former WWE Superstar Sasha Banks, now known as Mercedes Moné, has been the name on everyone's lips since the turn of the new year, but what is getting in the way of her joining AEW?
Moné debuted for New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Wrestle Kingdom 17 event in the Tokyo Dome, marking her first wrestling-based appearance since leaving WWE in May 2022.
However, many expected her to be announced for the upcoming episode of Dynamite as Saraya's mystery partner. Instead, former AEW Women's Champion Toni Storm was selected as her partner to take on Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. and current champion Jamie Hayter.
The announcement of Storm being Saraya's partner and not Sasha Banks has led many to believe that a deal with AEW might be in jeopardy. Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio speculated that it might be down to having to make at least a three-year commitment.
“If she’s going to AEW, she’s going to have to sign for three years minimum. For AEW it would be really stupid to put her on TV if she’s going to go back [to WWE] in six months. I don’t know that she wants to make that commitment that she can’t go back.” (H/T WrestleTalk)
Meltzer elaborated by saying that Mercedes only signed a short deal with NJPW in case she wanted to return to WWE. However, the idea in Japan is that she will be exclusive to their company, meaning she won't go to AEW.
“With New Japan, for a short-term deal for just a couple of dates, yeah she can go back at the end of that deal. But when it comes to an AEW deal for a couple of years, she can’t go back for a couple of years. That’s the impression. What will happen? I just know that everyone was pretty… over in Japan and everything, everybody was pretty much saying this is just a New Japan deal and it’s not an AEW deal." (H/T WrestleTalk)
Mercedes Moné (Sasha Banks) already has a championship match in her future
Even if the former Sasha Banks doesn't go to AEW, she still has a lot coming up when it comes to her New Japan Pro Wrestling schedule, with her debut match being a championship match.
On February 18th at the Battle in the Valley event, Mercedes Moné will challenge KAIRI for the IWGP Women's Championship. Moné laid out her challenge to the former WWE Superstar following her match at Wrestle Kingdom 17.
The former Sasha Banks also highlighted fellow young Stardom performer AZM and Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling's Miyu Yamashita as two women she would love to get in the ring with over the coming months.
Do you think Mercedes Moné could become the new IWGP Women's Champion? Let us know in the comments section down below!
