The former Sasha Banks has arrived in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4, KAIRI defended the IWGP Women’s Championship against Tam Nakano. After the bell, Mercedes Monè (Banks) came to the ring and confronted her. She made it clear that she came to NJPW/STARDOM to make history. Mone then laid the champion out and challenged her to a match at NJPW Battle in the Valley, which will be on February 18.
IT’S MERCEDES MONÉ!@mercedesvarnado is in the Tokyo Dome!!!#wk17 #njpw pic.twitter.com/PD54lqLr1L
— njpwworld (@njpwworld) January 4, 2023
Mercedes Moné is HERE! #wk17 pic.twitter.com/klwPLxVMFe
— AJ (@Y2AWWE) January 4, 2023
With her appearance at the show, Banks returned to the wrestling world for the first time since she and Naomi walked out of WWE on the May 16 episode of WWE RAW. WWE subsequently suspended the duo and stripped them of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. Her status with the company had been unclear for several months, but in December, it was reported that she reached an agreement with NJPW
Banks had been with WWE since 2012, and she was the third Grand Slam Women’s Champion in WWE history; she won the Raw Women’s Championship five times, the SmackDown Women’s Championship once, and the Women’s Tag Team Championship three times.
Catch up on our coverage of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 here.
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