Update On Sasha Banks Taking Bookings Outside WWE

Sasha Banks' name is back in the news today, as the wantaway WWE star has been announced for a big-time appearance outside the company.

The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo confirmed on Twitter that Banks, under her real name Mercedes Varnado, would be appearing at the Chicago, Illinois event on 6 and 7 August. Tickets are available now for photograph and autograph opportunities.

C2E2 tweeted:-

Please join us in welcoming our next #C2E2 guest, Mercedes Varnado (Sasha Banks)! Whether you’ve seen her in the ring or as Koska Reeves in The Mandalorian, you are not going to want to miss out on this Photo and Autograph opportunity! Buy yours now: https://t.co/i3BeALlo7k pic.twitter.com/UFpdSIEGYP

— C2E2 (@c2e2) July 13, 2022

This is the first high-profile public appearance Banks has been the subject of since May, when she and Naomi walked out of a WWE Raw taping, leaving their Women's Tag Team Championships on John Laurinaitis' desk. Stripped of the belts and suspended indefinitely, the duo's futures have since become the subject of endless speculation. Sasha, specifically, as it the centre of a protracted release saga, with recent reporting suggesting she is still bound to WWE.

Mick Foley, who recently signed a new WWE Legends contract, is also booked for C2E2, as is fellow Hall of Famer Trish Stratus.

Following up on the announcement, Fightful Select reports that wrestling conventions that have attempted to reach out to Banks for bookings have been told that she won't be able to make such commitments until 2023. On top of this, wrestling-related promoters have been informed that Sasha is only taking non-wrestling bookings until 1 January. Whether or not this is a personal or contractual matter is unknown.

There is still no firm word on whether or not WWE has actually consented to Banks' release. Nonetheless, one promoter told Fightful that they "can't imagine" the market leaders not letting her go at this stage.