WWE Sasha Banks

Just as soon as word came down from PW Insider that Sasha Banks would be headed to the Tokyo Dome for Wrestle Kingdom 17, a million questions have been ...

It’s been some seven months since she first walked out of the company, and she’s kept herself plenty busy in the meantime with outside projects. As Meltzer put it, “as of right now, she’s done with WWE.” - He said AEW could obviously afford her but it’s unclear if they have a role in any of this.

Sasha Banks' status in WWE has been one of the biggest stories in professional wrestling since, well, since she and Naomi – real name Trinity Fatu – walked ...

So, if Banks is going to be a free agent and in Japan for Wrestle Kingdom 17, the next logical question has to be where she will wrestle next as a “home” promotion. “New Japan Pro Wrestling cannot afford to pay the numbers that WWE was willing to pay her, I can say that. However, as we’ve seen with so many people in that company, I mean, she hasn’t worked there so they can freeze the deal and they’ve frozen deals for people who have walked out, they’ve frozen deals for people who have been hurt, and we’ve heard over and over again so many people who wanted to be free agents had to wait, and wait and wait. Sure, NJPW is great, and they’re starting to team up more with Stardom for mixed-gender shows, but the company founded by Antonio Inoki doesn’t have a women’s division and likely wouldn’t allow Banks to pursue acting opportunities in America. “I asked WWE about it and they had basically nothing to say as far as the situation,” Meltzer said. Is Mercedes Varnado, or Mercedes Mone, the name she recently trademarked, about to hit the open market and become eligible to appear at any or all wrestling events that can pay up for her services?

Mercedes Varnado (also known as Sasha Banks in WWE) is expected to be at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17. As previously reported, New Japan believes she will be.

Meltzer said he doesn’t know about her potentially going to AEW and whether she will be Saraya’s mystery partner on January 11th on AEW Dynamite. Her deal is slated to expire at the end of 2022. Banks and Naomi walked out in the middle of Raw back in May.

A new update has emerged on former WWE Women's Champion Sasha Banks, following recent reports about her wrestling future.

“She wanted a lot. Meltzer went on to note that WWE may choose to freeze her deal, but also speculated that the company might’ve moved on from Varnado, considering the high price for a return. “The fact that she has made this (NJPW) deal at least verbally, because they have dates booked for her, barring a last minute change and her backing out on what has been agreed to, she’s not going back to WWE.” “Her contract was to expire at the end of the year, however as we’ve seen with so many people in that company, she hasn’t worked, so (WWE) could freeze the deal. What she was asking for was a very high number for a WWE women’s wrestler. “They were talking to both of them (Mercedes Varnado and Naomi), they were talking to (Varnado) about a return, and they were very far apart on money.

WWE News: Sasha Banks WWE: The Boss Sasha Banks is currently serving a suspension period due to her famous walkout earlier this year. Sasha Banks walked out ...

[commented](https://www.insidesport.in/wwe-news-ric-flair-provides-huge-update-on-sasha-banks-return-says-he-has-talked-to-her/) on the Sasha Banks situation after reports emerged that she is linked with a move to AEW. He professed that Sasha Banks is currently “done” with the company. However, he admitted that things could take a turn but as of now, there’s no hope of the Boss coming back to WWE. Reports suggested that Sasha Banks was not happy with the plans for that day’s main event. WWE News: Sasha Banks WWE: The Boss Sasha Banks is currently serving a suspension period due to her famous walkout earlier this year. Sasha Banks walked out during a Monday Night RAW episode with her tag partner Naomi before the main event.

Sasha Banks' status with WWE has been a mystery ever since she and Naomi walked out of an episode of Monday Night Raw back in mid-May.

"She is going to the show, she will be on the show, she will not be wrestling on the show," he later added, finally giving some context to whether or not "The Boss" will be wrestling on Jan. That was the last that I had heard....What she was asking for was a very high number for a WWE woman wrestler, but if you look at the amount of money that WWE takes in, she would still be underpaid. Meltzer went on to say..." In her deal, which I believe is not signed, she could still sign with WWE and this could all fall apart, but she has pretty much agreed to their terms. [Sasha Banks' status with WWE](https://comicbook.com/wwe/news/report-update-revealed-sasha-banks-wwe-release/) has been a mystery ever since she and Naomi walked out of an episode of Monday Night Raw back in mid-May. They [WWE] had been talking to both of them, but they had been talking to her [Banks] about a return and they were very far apart on money.

In the midst of beginning reports that the previous “SmackDown” Ladies' Hero had been let out of WWE, later reports from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Spectator ...

On January 4, Banks will show up at the Tokyo Arch for NJPW’s Wrestle Realm 17. Ethics Policy Corrections Policy

Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio, “She is going to be making appearances for NJPW in 2023. Barring a last-minute change and her backing out on what she ...

According to Meltzer, “She is going to the [Wrestle Kingdom] show, she will be on the show, she will not be wrestling on the show. Despite all that she’s accomplished, Banks is still just 30 years, and in both AEW and WWE, many of the company’s top stars are performing at an elite level in their late 30s to mid 40s. Known for her magnetic charisma and ability to play either a villain or fan favorite, Banks figures to follow a long line of former WWE stars, like Batista and John Cena, who have gone on to have successful careers in entertainment. Banks is setting herself up to do just that by leaving WWE, which has notoriously held back many superstars from pursuing non-wrestling projects without the company’s approval. WWE’s female stars have traditionally been [woefully underpaid](https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakeoestriecher/2020/01/15/becky-lynchs-wwe-deal-will-set-a-new-precedent-for-underpaid-female-stars/?sh=68b50cd423c9), especially in comparison to the company’s top male stars, but names like Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Banks have become household names on par or even above most of their male counterparts. In her deal, which I believe is not signed, she could still sign with WWE and this could all fall apart, but she has pretty much agreed to their terms. “What she was asking for was a very high number for a WWE woman wrestler, but if you look at the amount of money that WWE takes in, she would still be underpaid. As noted by Meltzer, though, Banks’ contract situation is a tricky situation because of WWE’s ability to potentially freeze her contract due to all the time she has missed over the past several months. “They [WWE] had been talking to both of them, but they had been talking to her [Banks] about a return and they were very far apart on money. Her surprising departure from the company unsurprisingly boils down not just to creative differences but to money, too. For many fans, that was always a case of “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Well, it’s finally time to believe it. Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio, “She is going to be making appearances for NJPW in 2023.

Sasha Banks hasn't been seen in WWE since May, and according to reports, she's scheduled to appear at New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 17 on ...

US viewers can access the WWE Network via [Peacock](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=127X991730&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peacocktv.com%2F&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Ftv%2Fustv%2Fa42214144%2Fsasha-banks-wwe-released-njpw-wrestle-kingdom-aew%2F). [New Japan Pro Wrestling](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a39787110/aew-njpw-forbidden-door-pay-per-view-chicago/)'s Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4, 2023. It is thought Sasha will issue a challenge to the winner of Kairi vs Nakano. Sasha is not thought to have officially signed a deal with NJPW but has agreed to terms for multiple dates in 2023 with the promotion. "But I just want to let you know that there's going to be something so f**king crazy coming!" [formerly WWE's Paige](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a41388548/aew-saraya-paige-cleared-dynamite-grand-slam/)) and a partner of her choice to a match against her and Jamie Hayter at the Los Angeles Forum show on January 11. [WWE Network](https://shop.wwe.com/home) or [BT Sport](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=127X991730&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bt.com%2Fsport%2Fmonthly-pass&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Ftv%2Fustv%2Fa42214144%2Fsasha-banks-wwe-released-njpw-wrestle-kingdom-aew%2F). [training with LuchaLibre Barcelona](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a41746575/wwe-sasha-banks-pictured-wrestling-kari-sane/) in Spain and with [WCW legend Juventud Guerrera](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a41902842/wwe-sasha-banks-train-return-naomi/). [AEW](https://www.digitalspy.com/aew/), who do have a partnership with NJPW. [WWE](https://www.digitalspy.com/wwe/) since she and Naomi [walked out of a live Raw taping](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a40066861/wwe-sasha-banks-naomi-suspended-raw-walkout/) in May. [the Mandalorian star](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a34600604/wwe-sasha-banks-star-wars-the-mandalorian-shock/) attend red carpets, including the premieres of [Black Panther: Wakanda Forever](https://www.digitalspy.com/black-panther/) and Disney+'s [She-Hulk](https://www.digitalspy.com/she-hulk), as well as collecting a gong at the World CBD Awards. [Sasha said](https://twitter.com/Fightful/status/1588628612541997056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1588628612541997056%7Ctwgr%5E1e372c0e5055ff4f26ee1b222da56212d1e5b48b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fwwe%2Fnews%2Fmercedes-varnado-sasha-banks-teases-something-crazy-coming-soon-video%2F): "As time passes, there has been so much growth and there's been so much beautiful opportunity and the journey that I've been loving.

Even in its final few weeks, 2022 continues to be a wildly newsworthy year for wrestling with Sasha Banks seemingly set for an appearance at New Japan...

Bliss originally staked her claim at a title shot over the summer, and her having to wait this long after fighting Belair's battles with Damage CTRL can be a part of the story they're trying to tell. As was acknowledged last week on Raw, it's been four years since Bliss was last a singles champion in WWE. Of course, Bliss winning is the only outcome that makes sense with Bayley already having lost to Belair twice on pay-per-view this year. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens teased splitting up for months before Owens dropped the boom on Jericho out of nowhere in February 2017. Despite all that, Triple H can still put forth a strong effort to make the three hours more bearable to endure by filling them with more meaningful content. Leaving WWE for a short time will make her that much more valuable to the company when she inevitably returns. However, with the brand lacking a proper platform, it felt pointless to prioritize anything relating to ROH over AEW stars and storylines. Raw was exciting again from August to October, so going back to what worked during those months shouldn't be a tall task. Although SmackDown has improved immensely since then, whatever goodwill Raw built up with the audience is all but gone coming off a recent string of boring shows. The Game must avoid continuing this trend of subpar programming or risk running off any returning fans who decided to give Raw another chance after McMahon retired. Having been gone from WWE TV for the better part of the year, The Boss has kept fans guessing what her wrestling future holds. In absence of The Boss from WWE programming, Alexa Bliss has been the latest star to ascend the ranks of Raw's women's division.