Which Major Championship Match Did Mercedes Moné Just Tease?

The former Sasha Banks laid down a HUGE challenge on social media.

by Michael Hamflett
Mercedes Mone
NJPW

Mercedes Moné has got her eyes on even more gold than the one she's set to compete for in a few short days.

The former Sasha Banks will make her in-ring debut for the company against IWGP Women's Champion KAIRI at NJPW's Battle In The Valley on February 18th, but has thrown down the gauntlet to Impact Women's Champion and former WWE opponent Mickie James in a loaded Instagram tease. She posted the following via stories yesterday, leading many to assume that a huge Impact Championship match could be on the horizon after her New Japan debut:

Mercedes Moné Mickie James
Instagram @themercedesvernado

Moné debuted for New Japan on January 4th at Wrestle Kingdom 17, attacking KAIRI to set the upcoming contest up. It was revealed she had signed with the company, but recent precedence suggest that a possible showdown with James wouldn't be off the table despite that contract. NJPW and Impact have worked together relatively harmoniously for the last several years, with various talents sharing their time for both organisations across the Pacific. A co-branded event between the two sides - Multiverse United - is booked in Los Angeles for March 30th ahead of WrestleMania, and this match would be one of the headline attractions should it come to be.

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The two worked numerous tag team matches alongside and against each other during their shared time in WWE between 2016-2021, though remarkably never worked a televised singles match against one another. This may be something both Impact and NJPW could capitalise on should Moné's latest manifestation gather pace.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett