Multiple-Time WWE Champion To Be At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

One of the modern-day WWE greats is heading to Wrestle Kingdom 17 next month.

by Andrew Pollard
Sasha Banks
WWE

While speculation continues to rumble on over Sasha Banks returning to WWE or potentially joining AEW, the Boss will be in attendance for New Japan Pro-Wrestling's biggest event of the year in just a matter of weeks.

As per Mike Johnson at PWInsider.com, the real-life Mercedes Varnado will be at Wrestle Kingdom 17 next month. It's not known what onscreen role - if any - Banks will have at WK17, but sources told PWInsider that the hugely talented star is being brought to the event by NJPW.

In terms of WWE, Sasha Banks hasn't been seen since she and Naomi walked out of a May 2022 episode of Raw. Unhappy with the creative presented to them, the pair left the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles on the desk of John Laurinaitis and exited the building on that night. Both talents were immediately suspended and stripped of those belts, and neither have been seen on WWE TV across these past seven months.

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With Laurinaitis and Vince McMahon now out of the equation, and with Triple H steering the ship, there has been constant rumours that both Banks and Naomi will be returning to WWE. As it stands, though, any such returns have yet to happen.

Recently, Sasha has filed trademarks for her real name and for the terms Mercedes Mone', Mone' Talks, Bank Mone', and Statement Maker through her Soulnado company.

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Given how last night's AEW Dynamite saw it revealed that Saraya will be teaming with a mystery partner to battle Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. and Jamie Hayter on the 11 January outing for the company's Wednesday flagship, already some are speculating that said mystery partner could end up being Mercedes.

Having been under the WWE banner since 2012, the 30-year-old Banks is a five-time Raw Women's Champion, a one-time SmackDown Women's Champion, a one-time NXT Women's Champion, a three-time Women's Tag Team Champion, as has main evented WrestleMania.

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Emanating from the legendary Toyko Dome, the first leg of Wrestle Kingdom 17 takes place on the familiar date of 4 January, with a second night - from the Yokohama Arena - on 21 January.

 
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Senior Writer
Senior Writer

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.