Mercedes Mone made waves when she and her tag team partner Naomi walked out of Monday Night Raw back in May. The former Sasha Banks made numerous public appearances in the following months at events such as New York Fashion Week, but she stayed quiet as far as any potential return to professional wrestling until January.
After months of speculation about her contract status and whether or not she would return to WWE, Mone was announced for an appearance at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4th. While the nature of her appearance wasn’t announced in advance, it turns out that she was in attendance to confront IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI and issue a challenge for the title.
The two are set to face off at Battle in the Valley on February 18th. After the blockbuster title bout was announced, the show quickly sold out.
“I’ve Never Been So F***ing Happy” – Mercedes Mone
As she prepares to return to in-ring competition this weekend, Mercedes Mone took to social media to address the support she’s received from fans since returning to the spotlight in professional wrestling. In an emotional video, Mone can be seen taking a deep breath before tearfully saying:
“Man, I can’t believe how many people support me in this. I’m so f***king happy. I’ve never felt so…”
The former Sasha Banks then begins to cry harder as footage of her ring gear and her NJPW entrance plays. After she’s seen walking through the curtain to make her New Japan debut, she concludes:
“I’ve never been so f***ing happy.”
We all have a dream this is mine
Coming soon … #TheCeo#MercedesMonèpic.twitter.com/4SKo5k9AwE— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) February 14, 2023
Mone previously expressed similar feelings during a recent interview, stating that it feels great to be excited about wrestling again.
This is far from the first time the Mone and KAIRI have faced off as they share a history from their time working in WWE. While teaming with Bayley during her time in the sports entertainment giant, the former Sasha Banks competed for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Title against the team of KAIRI and Asuka, known as the Kabuki Warriors.
As well as Mone vs KAIRI, Battle in the Valley also features Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Fred Rosser vs. Kenta for the Strong Openweight Championship and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Clark Connors with the World Television Championship on the line.
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