Major Update On Mercedes Moné's Wrestling Future

WWE? AEW? TNA? Where's next for Mercedes Moné?

by Andrew Pollard
Mercedes Moné
NJPW

With plentiful speculation on what the future holds for the in-ring career of Mercedes Moné, there's now a notable update on where Mercedes will land as and when she returns to the ring.

Via PWInsider, Moné will be make her wrestling return by March and "not for WWE".

Up next for Mercedes is a visit to Japan, which seemingly is just a vacation rather than to actually wrestle, and then she'll be making a big return to the US after that trip. When the question was asked whether Moné was heading to AEW, there was no confirmation on this. However, when asked if the former Sasha Banks would be joining TNA, the answer was no.

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So, that means that Mercedes Moné is returning to the wrestling world by March, it will be in the United States, and that she won't be joining either WWE or TNA. With AEW Revolution taking place on Sunday 3 March, there is obviously plentiful speculation that Moné could make an appearance there and formally become #AllElite.

Mercedes last wrestled in May 2023 at NJPW Strong Resurgence, losing to Willow Nightingale in the final of the tournament to crown the inaugural NJPW Strong Women's Champion. Of course, the Blueprint suffered an ankle injury in that match, with an audible called to have Nightingale score the win.

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Previously, Mercedes - under her Sasha Banks moniker - spent ten years with WWE from 2012 to 2022. A five-time Raw Women's Champion, one-time SmackDown Women's Champion, three-time Women's Tag Team Champion, and a one-time NXT Women's Champion, the Boston-billed star's run with the market leader came to an end when she and her then-partner Naomi walked out of a May 2022 episode due to creative frustrations. Mercedes' WWE contract would expire later that year, and she'd make an appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17 the following January ahead of later facing - and defeating - Kairi for the IWGP Women's Title. Moné's reign as IWGP Women's Champion would last 64 days, with her dropping that prize to Mayu Iwatani at Stardom All Star Grand Queendom.

Senior Writer
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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.