Back in May of this year, Sasha Banks made waves alongside her tag team partner Naomi when the two walked out of WWE Raw amidst creative disputes with then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. The two were stripped of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship and suspended without pay, and neither woman has been seen in the company since.
However, that doesn’t mean the real life Mercedes Varnado hasn’t kept herself busy during her time away from the squared circle. She and Naomi were seen as part of New York Fashion Week back in September as well as making a number of other public appearances.
Last month, it was announced that Sasha Banks would compete against WWE Hall of Famer Brie Bella on the USA Network series Barmageddon, a game show hosted by Brie’s sister and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella.
In the wake of news that Banks would be returning to the USA Network, Fightful Select reached out to WWE sources to gauge their thoughts on the star’s future. No one in WWE indicated that there was any change or update on her status.
Fightful Select also reached out to sources in AEW, and several talent were said to be excited about the possibility of Sasha Banks becoming All Elite. One particular source quickly stated that Banks could be another “anchor” talent, someone who would kick start interest in the women’s division and significantly help viewership.
The Fightful Select report made note of the fact that WrestleCade reached out to Banks last year, but couldn’t strike a deal as the star said she wouldn’t be taking wrestling-related bookings until after January 1st, 2023. On the most recent episode of AEW Dynamite, Saraya revealed that she would be returning to in-ring action alongside a mystery partner on January 11th to take on Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter, leading to online speculation that Banks could be that partner as the bout would take place after January 1st.
Banks herself has added to speculation about an in-ring return by posting a recent training video.
Sasha Banks Will Be In Attendance At NJPW WrestleKingdom In January
Also taking place after January 1st is New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual WrestleKingdom, the first night of which takes place every year on January 4th. Earlier today, it was reported that Sasha Banks will be in attendance at the upcoming WrestleKingdom show, though there is no word on whether or not she’ll appear publicly.
This is not the first time that it has been rumoured that the former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion would be appearing for the promotion. Back in October, Sasha Banks posted an image to her Instagram story of a match graphic showing Banks challenging KAIRI, the former Kairi Sane in WWE, to a match for the IWGP Women’s Championship. KAIRI will be competing at Wrestle Kingdom 17, defending the title against Tam Nakano at the event.