Report: Sasha Banks Arrives in Japan for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 amid WWE Rumors

Two weeks away from New Japan Pro Wrestling's signature event of the year, Sasha Banks has reportedly touched down in the country.

Per Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com, Banks arrived in Japan ahead of Wrestle Kingdom 17 on Jan. 4.

This comes on the heels of Hiroaki Sawa, the director of influencer marketing agency Gushcloud International, saying in a since-deleted tweet (h/t Shivangini Rawat of Ringside News) the Legit Boss would likely be in Japan ahead of time to explore potential sponsorship deals with companies based in the country.

Johnson originally reported on Dec. 8 that Banks was expected to be in attendance for the Tokyo Dome show, though it isn't certain if she will appear before the live crowd.

While it's still not clear what role Banks will have on the show, there is an expectation she could challenge the winner of the IWGP women's championship match between Kairi and Tam Nakano.

Banks previously teased doing a match with Kairi on Instagram back in October that Kairi took a screenshot of and tweeted out:

Fans have been anxiously awaiting to see what's next for Banks and Naomi after both women walked out of WWE during the May 16 episode of Raw because of creative differences.

There was a time when it seemed like both superstars were going to be back in WWE. Angel Aramboles of WrestlingNews.co reported on Aug. 1 that Banks and Naomi reached a deal to return.

As time has passed, it has seemed more unlikely Banks is returning to WWE at this point. In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported (h/t Rawat) the two sides couldn't agree to terms on money and Banks agreed not to wrestle for any other promotions until 2023 as part of her release from WWE.

Banks' last televised match was with Naomi on the May 13 episode of Friday Night SmackDown when they defeated Natalya and Shayna Baszler to retain the WWE women's tag titles.

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