Sasha Banks (Mercedes Varnado) reportedly negotiated her WWE exit in the summer and only recently finalized her NJPW contract.
As PWMania.com previously reported, Banks is set to sign a limited per-appearance contract with NJPW, which will see her appear at the big Wrestle Kingdom 17 event on January 4 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. A second night has been scheduled for January 21 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, but it is unclear whether Banks will appear at both shows. It was also reported that Banks and WWE were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract due to financial differences, with Banks demanding a large sum. Banks’ fee with NJPW is said to be “significantly higher” than what NJPW paid for Chris Jericho, making her the highest-paid contracted wrestler to NJPW and Stardom parent company Bushiroad. Banks’ NJPW pay was not disclosed, but Jericho was paid $100,000 per appearance.
In an update, Fightful Select reports that Banks’ WWE exit was negotiated “months ago,” possibly in June when it was reported that she had been released from her contract.
WWE has yet to confirm Banks’ departure, and she remains on the official WWE roster, along with Naomi, as of this writing. It was recently reported that WWE could potentially freeze Banks’ WWE contract for time off or re-sign her by caving to her demands, but this new report indicates that she has already negotiated her release, which is consistent with another recent report that said she is “done” with WWE.
Banks’ NJPW contract is said to be “a go,” with an agreement reached as recently as the last week of November. The news of Banks’ appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17 was first reported on December 8.
The working relationship between AEW and NJPW has fueled speculation that banks may join AEW. According to this new report, sources familiar with Banks’ NJPW deal haven’t heard anything about AEW and Banks yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
It was recently reported that promoters attempting to book Banks for WrestleCade in late November were informed that she will not be accepting pro wrestling bookings until after January 1. When asked if this was “contractual,” sources said it was, according to the updated report. According to sources, WrestleCade is far from the only wrestling-related organization that has attempted to book Banks. Another convention in which Banks is said to be interested is the Big Event in New York.
There was also speculation that some conventions considered re-branding themselves as “entertainment” conventions in order to avoid the technicality of being a pro wrestling convention in order to book Banks before January 1, but this did not happen.
As PWMania.com previously reported, Bushiroad Founder/President Takaaki Kidani reportedly led the charge to bring Banks to NJPW because he wanted a top WWE star to come to NJPW and was willing to pay a large sum of money to do so. While Banks will make a lot of money with NJPW, more than she would in WWE, it was noted that NJPW will not book her on enough shows to make her what she would make in WWE in the long run. Banks, on the other hand, will have plenty of time to work on other projects and possibly for AEW if she only works a few shows for NJPW here and there.
Banks is rumored to face KAIRI (fka Kairi Sane), the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion, at NJPW’s first major international event of 2023, Battle In The Valley, which takes place on Saturday, February 18 from the San Jose Civic Center in San Jose, CA. At Wrestle Kingdom 17, KAIRI will defend her title against Tam Nakano, and a successful title defense combined with Banks’ debut appearance could pave the way for a massive Banks vs. KAIRI match at Battle In The Valley. It should be noted that the Banks vs. KAIRI discussion is still rumor and has not been confirmed. Banks is also rumored to be Saraya’s mystery partner to face Britt Baker and AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter on the January 11 edition of AEW Dynamite from Los Angeles, but that is just rumor for now, as Saraya stated this week.
Banks and Naomi have been away from WWE since mid-May, when they walked out of a RAW taping due to creative differences while still holding the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. Naomi and WWE were recently reported to be working on a new contract, but there have been no further updates on her status.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more.
