Sasha Banks has reopened a checking account under the name Mercedes Monè. The former WWE Women’s Champion returned to professional wrestling at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, confronting IWGP Women’s Champion Kairi following her successful title defense. Within minutes of hitting the ring, Monè made her intentions clear: she is coming for Kairi’s championship at NJPW Battle in the Valley on February 18th. While New Japan gold is in her sights, Monè has aspirations that go beyond the far east.
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Speaking at the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 press conference, Monè officially re-introduced herself while teasing her future plans.
“I am Mercedes Monè. I am the CEO of New Japan and Stardom’s women’s division, and this is only just my first stop because I’m on a world domination tour,” Monè said. “I know everybody is so jealous of Japan. You guys are so lucky to have me first.”
One of those “world domination tour” stops will be San Jose, CA, as that is the site of of NJPW Battle in the Valley. Other destinations reside in wherever Stardom holds its upcoming events, as Monè confirmed that she will be competing for NJPW’s sister promotion as well. That said, Monè’s tease that Japan is “lucky to have [her] first” hints that she plans on competing for promotions outside of the country.
The most-speculated non-Japanese promotion that Monè is teasing is All Elite Wrestling. Fans have theorized that Monè will end up being Saraya’s mystery tag partner at the January 11th edition of AEW Dynamite, with recent reports indicating that AEW has been firmly in a “no comment” stance on the possibility.
Beyond that, New Japan has an active working relationship with AEW. The two promotions began sharing talent in 2021 when KENTA arrived on AEW Dynamite and have since co-promoted a show together with 2022’s AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view. Considering top AEW stars like Kenny Omega and FTR wrestled on NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 and will consequently miss tonight’s AEW Dynamite as a result, it’s not out of question for New Japan talent to pop up on AEW TV soon as a receipt.
This “world domination tour” is reminiscent of runs that Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley had before her. Both of those former WWE titleholders exited WWE on their own accord and proceeded to compete in dozens of promotions across the globe, leading to both men becoming bigger stars as a result.
Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on Merecedes Monè’s AEW status.
