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Report: WWE Expects Sasha Banks to Return After NJPW Run as Mercedes Moné

Mike Chiari

People in WWE reportedly believe Sasha Banks will return to the company following her run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Stardom as Mercedes Moné.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), WWE is "very strongly under the impression" that Moné will not compete in All Elite Wrestling despite rumors and speculation to the contrary. The company reportedly also expects Moné to be back in the fold after she gets wrestling in Japan "out of her system."

Mercedes made her NJPW debut at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on Wednesday by confronting and attacking International Wrestling Grand Prix women's champion Kairi. Afterward, Moné challenged Kairi to a match at NJPW Battle in the Valley in San Jose, California, on Feb. 18.

It marked Moné's first wrestling-related appearance since May, when she and Naomi walked out prior to an episode of WWE Raw because of creative differences.

Mercedes and Naomi were subsequently suspended and stripped of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, and neither has resurfaced on WWE programming since then.

While WWE has never made any announcement regarding the release or departure of Mercedes from the company, Wrestling Inc.'s Raj Giri reported in June that WWE had released her, and it was recently reported by Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp that she was free to negotiate wrestling bookings with companies outside of WWE beginning Jan. 1.

Although it is possible that Moné's contract with NJPW and Stardom could be exclusive, it is widely assumed that she has the flexibility to work elsewhere if she so chooses, which is why there is widespread belief that she will appear on AEW Dynamite next week.

In fact, Steve Muehlhausen of DAZN reported Wednesday that Mercedes will be Saraya's tag team partner on next week's Dynamite in Los Angeles in a match against Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter.

Saraya chose Toni Storm as her partner on Wednesday, but Baker called herself "the boss" in an apparent nod to Mercedes' WWE nickname, leading many to believe that AEW will pull a bait-and-switch with Moné replacing Storm.

Meltzer has been steadfast in shooting down that notion, however, noting that AEW would want her to sign at least a three-year contract if she appears. Meltzer suggested Mercedes wouldn't want to do that and would prefer to keep her options open.

It was also reported by Meltzer that Mercedes' NJPW deal is only for "a couple of matches," meaning she could return to WWE in the near future if there is indeed mutual interest in reuniting.

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