Mercedes Mone has yet to wrestle in anger in NJPW but the star is already getting people talking.
Following the news that her debut at Wrestle Kingdom 17 helped ensure that the show was the most streamed in NJPW history, she’s already had an impact on upcoming event Battle in the Valley.
Impressively, the show which is due to take place on February 18th in San Jose has already sold out. While the fact that the event is sold out might not raise that many eyebrows on the surface, the sell-out has taken place while Mercedes Mone’s match against IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI is the only confirmed match on the card. NJPW touted the success of the show on social media after confirming that Jay White and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada will also be in attendance.
Mercedes Mone To return To Action
Mercedes Mone hasn’t wrestled since teaming with Naomi at a WWE live event on May 15th, 2022. The star, who was known as Sasha Banks at the time, walked out of the taping for Monday Night Raw alongside her tag team partner just 24 hours later. It is believed that their exit came following a row over creative.
The star initially stayed away from the spotlight although she became a regular feature at public events as her WWE absence continued. In more recent months the former Raw Women’s Champion made no secret of the fact she was training for a return to the ring with social media posts from gyms all over the world. Although it was thought a WWE return might be on the cards when Triple H assumed creative control of the company this never came to pass.
Instead, Mone became a free agent on January 1st and made her NJPW bow just days later. It has been rumoured that the star will be involved on the January 11th episode of AEW Dynamite, despite it being announced that Toni Storm will be Saraya’s partner to face Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter.
There have also been reports that WWE are “very strongly under the impression” that Mercedes Mone will return to the company.