Tag: Mercedes Mone

NJPW issues statement on Mercedes Moné injury, wishes her fast recovery

NJPW confirmed that Mercedes Moné injured her right ankle over the weekend.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling today issued a short statement confirming that Mercedes Moné was injured in the main event of NJPW Resurgence in Long Beach over the weekend.

NJPW confirmed that Moné injured her right ankle and wished her the best in her recovery.

Moné underwent a thorough appraisal of her injury immediately after her match and began treatment.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling joins fans in wishing Moné a full and fast recovery.

Moné was facing Willow Nightingale in the finals of a tournament to determine the inaugural NJPW Strong Women’s Champion, having already defeated Stephanie Vaquer. Nightingale got by Momo Kohgo before pinning Moné to win the title.

Reports on the night of the show suggested Moné suffered a broken ankle; while she didn’t discuss the nature of the injury, the wrestler herself hinted at missing some time while recovering in a social media post later that night.

The setback puts Moné’s wrestling future a bit more up in the air for the time being. She has worked exclusively for NJPW and sister promotion Stardom in 2023 to date, but had reportedly agreed to extend her time with them only through Resurgence. It could be several months until the wrestling world sees where the former Sasha Banks shows up next.

Mercedes Moné confirms injury suffered at NJPW Resurgence

Mercedes Moné tweeted that she’d “heal and be back better than ever.”

Wrestling fans anxiously waiting to see where Mercedes Moné will pop up next may have to be patient for longer than expected.

Reports began circulating Sunday night that Moné was injured during her main event match at NJPW Resurgence against Willow Nightingale, with PW Insider saying that the word backstage was that she suffered a broken ankle.

While she didn’t confirm that diagnosis, she did take to Twitter to confirm she was injured, saying that she was “gonna heal and be back better than ever.”

It’s certainly a bummer for Moné, who had embraced her life after WWE, where she shot to stardom as Sasha Banks before famously walking out on the company last year. Her work with NJPW was well received, and she enjoyed a brief run as IWGP Women’s Champion before dropping the title to Mayu Iwatani at a Stardom event in April.

Though there was speculation that would be her last appearance for NJPW/Stardom, Moné agreed to extend her time with those promotions at least through Resurgence, which took place in Long Beach and was heavily marketed around her participation.

Moné had made it known that she intended on making this the “world tour” portion of her wrestling career, and AEW fans had grown excited over the thought that she might show up for one of that company’s upcoming shows — either Forbidden Door with NJPW in Toronto, or All In London. All of that will have to wait, however, as she recuperates from her injury.

Mercedes Moné is staying in NJPW … for now

Moné lost her title at a Stardom show but immediately said she’d be working a NJPW event in the U.S. in just a few weeks.

Mercedes Moné is no longer the IWGP Women’s Champion, but that doesn’t mean she’s leaving New Japan Pro-Wrestling right away.

That’s significant because for some time, the thought was that Moné was only going to stick around NJPW for a short time, and that dropping the title would be a sign she’d be moving on. She did the first part over the weekend at Stardom All Star Grand Queendom, where she was defeated by Mayu Iwatani in the show’s penultimate match.

But afterward, Moné said she wanted to get the title back at some point and declared that the next stop on her “world tour” would be the NJPW Strong Resurgence show on May 21 in Long Beach.

NJPW is already promoting her for that event, which would be the second card she will work for the company in the U.S. following Battle in the Valley in San Jose in February — where Moné won the IWGP Women’s Championship by defeating Kairi.

Moné’s contract with NJPW and Stardom parent company Bushiroad was said to originally expire after this weekend’s event, but Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported that both sides agreed to an extension several days ago. The question now is how long that extension will be, and if it runs through the summer.

If it does, that could put Moné in play for Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall on June 4. An even more tantalizing prospect would be if she’s available for Forbidden Door, the dual-branded show with AEW which is slated for Toronto on June 25.

Wrestling fans have wondered for some time if the former Sasha Banks might show up in AEW at some point, and Forbidden Door would allow her to do that without actually signing with the company — particularly if the build is like last year’s, where some New Japan talent appeared on AEW Dynamite and Rampage in the weeks leading up to the event.

For now, anyway, Moné will be working for NJPW at least one more time in a place she knows well.

Mercedes Moné may already be done with NJPW next month

The outcome of Moné’s next match could be a big clue to what move she decides to make next.

The reign of Mercedes Moné as IWGP Women’s Champion might not last more than another month or so — because her time with New Japan Pro-Wrestling could be over in April as well.

According to Dave Meltzer in his latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), Moné has only a little more than a month left on her deal with Bushiroad, the parent company of NJPW and women’s-focused sister promotion Stardom.

Moné is scheduled to wrestle Mayu Iwatani at Stardom’s All Star Grand Queendom show on April 23, and the outcome of that match could be a big hint toward what she plans on doing after that.

As of right now, Mercedes Mone has no dates left with Bushiroad after the 4/23 Yokohama Arena show. Unless that changes, logic would say she would drop the IWGP title to Mayu Iwatani at that show. If Mone wins, it would mean she’s reached an agreement for a longer deal.

After leaving her Sasha Banks identity behind in WWE earlier this year, Moné made headlines by appearing at Wrestle Kingdom in January, NJPW’s biggest event of the year. She successfully won the IWGP Women’s Championship from Kairi in February in San Jose, becoming only the second woman to hold the relatively new title.

While Moné made it clear while talking to Wrestling Junkie’s Under the Ring podcast that it was an “easy, easy decision” to join NJPW and Stardom because the promotions had wrestlers who would push her in new ways, it’s no surprise that her time there could be brief. She has also spoken about her desire to go on a “world tour” and wrestle in other countries, and Moné also signed with a talent agency in February to pursue opportunities in other areas of entertainment.

And, of course, there’s a school of thought that she will make her way back to WWE after stretching her wings a bit this year. That certainly can’t be ruled out, but it’s apparent right now that she is enjoying her time holding all the cards — and we’ll see which ones Moné decides to play after April 23.

Mercedes Moné signs with agency to secure opportunities ‘across film, television, theater and more’

Moné has signed with one of the largest talent agencies in the world.

Mercedes Moné may be a pro wrestling champion again after winning the IWGP Women’s Championship at NJPW Battle in the Valley, but that doesn’t mean her ambitions outside the ring are slowing down.

Quite the opposite, in fact. Variety broke the news that Moné — real name Mercedes Varnado, and known to wrestling fans everywhere as Sasha Banks during her time in WWE —  has signed with United Talent Agency, or UTA.

UTA is one of the biggest talent agencies in the world, with hundreds of agents representing clients across every form of entertainment imaginable. The article suggests the agency will help Moné “secure new opportunities across film, television, theater and more.”

That would seem to mesh pretty well with her stated plans of taking her brand global. Working with NJPW is a big step in that direction already, though Moné has yet to work in Japan or outside the U.S. since agreeing to a deal with the company in January. She’s expected to make her in-ring Japanese debut in April.

Moné also started dipping her toes into the world of TV and film during her stint in WWE. She made a high profile TV debut playing Koska Reeves on the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” a well-regarded and popular part of the Star Wars universe. Appearances on unscripted reality and competition shows followed, but Moné has yet to have another significant acting role.

Signing with UTA signals that may change sooner rather than later. Fans will have to keep an eye on not just when Moné will wrestle again, but where else she might be popping up since the agency should help her have more options that ever.

For more on Moné and her plans for the near future, check out her recent appearance on our Under the Ring podcast with host Phil Strum below.

What’s next for Mercedes Moné after winning IWGP title? Maybe a world tour

Moné says she’s willing to “join any company that has the right bag.”

It’s Mercedes Moné‘s world, and we’re just living in it.

Moné made the most of her debut for New Japan Pro-Wrestling at Battle in the Valley this weekend in San Jose, defeating Kairi to become the new IWGP Women’s Champion. Not too shabby for her first match of any kind in nine months.

NJPW figures to lean on Moné’s star power to help it promote its efforts in women’s wrestling, which are still in their infancy — the title Moné just won has only been in existence since November. But she has more than one career iron in the fire, and many potential options in front of her going forward.

For some insight into what Moné, Under the Ring host Phil Strum spoke with her ahead of Battle in the Valley to find out what she might have her eye on during the part of her career where she’s calling her own shots.

“Like I said at my press conference at Wrestle Kingdom, I’m on my world tour,” Moné said, referring to her first appearance in NJPW in January. “I think after tomorrow night, when I successfully beat Kairi and I become the IWGP Women’s Champion, I plan to take that title absolutely everywhere, all over the world.

“So New Japan won’t be the only place that I’ll be wrestling. I plan to make this global and join any company that has the right bag for Mercedes Moné, you know?”

You can listen to the entire interview with Moné below:

One place Moné should definitely be appearing is in Stardom, NJPW’s women-only sister promotion. She made reference during her Under the Ring visit to working in Japan in April, with Dave Meltzer reporting on Wrestling Observer Radio that she is expected to compete there for the first time April 8.

One thing that’s clear is that she certainly seems invigorated for this next phase of her career, and that fans will be watching to see wherever she might turn up.

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Mercedes Moné explains why it was an ‘easy, easy decision’ to join NJPW

Moné cited her opportunity to expose the U.S. audience to Stardom as another factor in choosing NJPW.

When Sasha Banks walked out on WWE last May, it was a bombshell that took some time to fully absorb. This was a wrestler at the height of her powers, a champion (who left her tag team title behind when she walked) who was starting to cross over to the mainstream as well.

Surely, the thinking went, Banks would find a way to circle back to WWE — especially once Paul “Triple H” Levesque took over creative. And if not there, then AEW, right?

Not quite. Now known as Mercedes Moné, her next move once becoming a free agent was to show up at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s biggest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo. Moné challenged the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion, Kairi, to a title match at Battle in the Valley in San Jose, a match that’s finally almost upon us.

As Moné told host Phil Strum on the latest episode of the Under the Ring podcast, it didn’t require a ton of soul searching for her to decide it was the right place for her to be.

“This is such a huge honor for me,” Moné said. “It made it a really easy decision to go to New Japan to help kickstart this women’s division for this company. With New Japan being the biggest professional wrestling company in Japan, it was just an easy, easy decision being like, ‘this is the place I wanted to be.’

“I grew up watching New Japan, I grew up watching Pro Wrestling NOAH and all these Japanese women’s wrestlers growing up, so this was such an easy decision. It’s a dream come true for me.”

While NJPW’s women’s division is indeed only in its infancy, all-women’s sister promotion Stardom feels like it’s very much on the rise in terms of its worldwide profile. Part of what attracted Moné to New Japan was the opportunity to work some dates in Stardom as well, which she called one of “the greatest potential companies in the world right now.”

“They have some of the top, top, top wrestlers I have ever seen, and I’m just so excited to introduce the American audience to the style of Stardom women,” Moné said. “I think just giving them the opportunity to show what they can do to a global scale of audience is just going to open up the doors for women’s wrestling all over the world.”

You can listen to Moné’s entire interview on Under the Ring above. Her journey with NJPW and Stardom begin in earnest this Saturday night at Battle in the Valley in San Jose, which is being carried live on pay-per-view by FITE.

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Mercedes Moné, formerly WWE’s Sasha Banks, talks in-ring return at NJPW Battle in the Valley

Moné will challenge Kairi for the IWGP Women’s Championship in San Jose, her first match in nine months.

For fans of Mercedes Moné, which means most fans of pro wrestling, the wait is almost over.

More precisely, it’s been two separate waits: First, seeing where Moné, who went by the name Sasha Banks in WWE, would turn up next after walking away from the company where she established herself as one of the most talented and popular women’s wrestlers in the world last May.

She answered that question by revealing her new identity at Wrestle Kingdom — the biggest annual event for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) — in Tokyo last month, where she challenged IWGP Women’s Champion Kairi to a title match. Even that required everyone to be a little more patient, as the bout was slated for Feb. 18 at New Japan’s Battle in the Valley in San Jose.

Add it up and it’s been nine months since Moné has stepped in the ring for any match, let alone one with so much intrigue around it. As she told the host of Wrestling Junkie’s Under the Ring podcast, Phil Strum, it still feels a bit surreal.

“I’m having a hard time processing that it’s all real, but it is, because it’s tomorrow,” Moné said. “I’ve been waiting for this for months, but I am so excited that my first match back in nine months is against Kairi, who is absolutely one of the best wrestlers in the whole world.

“This is a dream come true. I’ve been preparing for this match for the past couple months, and I’m just ready to go to do this match. I’m ready to get it over with. I have the same feelings that I did at Wrestle Kingdom where I’m just like, ‘oh my God, can it just come, can it just go past already?'”

Moné caught many industry observers off guard by resurfacing in NJPW, as opposed to a return to WWE (there were reports of a possible reconciliation that fell apart over money) or perhaps signing with its primary competition, AEW.

But this is a pairing that could easily pay dividends for both parties. Moné has made inroads into other forms of entertainment, including acting (she was part of the popular Star Wars Disney+ show “The Mandalorian) and music. She’s likely freer to pursue those ventures without being tied down to a multi-year deal with one of the big two United States-based wrestling promotions.

NJPW, meanwhile, is trying to become a bigger presence in the U.S. market. It only recently established a women’s title after years of featuring only male wrestlers — it does have a sister promotion, Stardom, for which Moné will also appear — and Moné helps give that effort both credibility and star power.

That hopefully symbiotic relationship begins Saturday night at Battle in the Valley, which is being broadcast on pay-per-view by FITE.

“I’m ready to enjoy every moment in this magical time in my career,” Moné said. “I’m so ready for tomorrow.”