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Mercedes Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks in WWE, didn't have the best of debuts in NJPW x Stardom as she was involved in an embarrassing botch. Video footage of the superstar practicing the move has now emerged online, which confirms what she was originally attempting to execute on KAIRI.
Mone showed up following KAIRI's successful IWGP Women's title defense against Tam Nakano on Night One of NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 17. Mercedes confronted the reigning champion and laid her out with what initially seemed like a modified DDT.
However, it has been revealed that Mercedes was actually going for a Gory Bomb-DDT combination. There seems to have been a miscommunication between the two wrestlers, as KAIRI didn't time her jump, leading to an awkward landing and an incomplete move.
The maneuver, which is said to be Sasha Banks' new finishing move in NJPW x Stardom, doesn't look like the easiest to perform, and a Twitter user explained why along with a clip of Banks successfully pulling it off during one of her training sessions:
Bayley was in Japan to support Mercedes Mone (fka Sasha Banks)
The decision to leave WWE might have shocked many, but Sasha Banks has proven that she is still a massively popular figure, both amongst the fans and backstage in the locker room.
Bayley, inarguably Sasha's closest friend outside the ring, traveled to Tokyo and was spotted behind the scenes during the Wrestle Kingdom event.
The Role Model also reunited with former RAW Superstars Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler as the AEW tag team were part of the match card. Here is an epic photo from the show, as tweeted out by FTR's Dax:
Now known as 'The CEO' Mercedes Mone, the former 'Legit Boss' will kickstart her Japanese excursion by expectedly contesting for the top prize, the IWGP Women's Championship.
Following her attack on KAIRI, Banks posed with the belt and made her intentions clear about being the next big thing in Japanese wrestling.
Mercedes Mone will take on her former WWE colleague at Battle in the Valley on February 18 in San Jose, and most fans are eagerly waiting to see how she fares in a completely different setup.
Did you enjoy her first appearance in Japan? Share your reactions in the comments section below.
