Sasha Banks Is Coming To Wrestle Kingdom, But Can NJPW Afford Her?
Update on Sasha Banks' Bushiroad negotiations, NJPW, STARDOM, and more.
Sasha Banks is due to appear for NJPW at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on 4 January - but negotiations between the seemingly outgoing WWE star and New Japan's parent company, Bushiroad, go back a lot further than that.
The Flagship Wrestling Podcast reports that Banks and Bushiroad started talking months ago. Bushiroad's other promotion, leading joshi group STARDOM, contacted Sasha soon after she and Naomi walked out of WWE in May, with promoter Rossy Ogawa telling talent there was mutual interest. Despite this, Ogawa's interest faded when he was presented with Banks' "exorbitant asking price," which STARDOM's budget couldn't stretch to.
Bushiroad's Takaaki Kidani greenlit Ogawa to re-enter talks with Banks a few months later, with a view to striking an agreement. Now, a "limited appearance deal" has been reached, with Banks' fee believed to be higher even than Chris Jericho's was for his pre-AEW NJPW appearances. Banks will also be "by far" Bushiroad's highest-paid wrestler as a result.
The Flagship is of the impression, however, that Bushiroad feel they cannot afford this investment beyond a limited number of dates.
It's likely that Sasha will work around the IWGP Women's Championship, currently held by a familiar face in former WWE star KAIRI. KAIRI is due to defend against Tam Nakano at Wrestle Kingdom, where Banks will appear but isn't expected to compete.
Banks getting involved in the IWGP Women's Title picture would play into Bushiroad's plans to draw interest from western fans, who would then theoretically become repeat viewers once Sasha's involvement in STARDOM has concluded.
Whether or not WWE and Sasha have formally severed ties is currently unclear. Banks, who hasn't been seen in the promotion since she and Naomi walked out, has previously told promoters (including STARDOM) that she wasn't taking bookings until January 2023.