It looks like Sasha Banks won’t be returning to WWE. According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, the former WWE Champion is not coming back to the company as she is attending New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom event next month. Banks has not appeared on WWE television since walking out on the company in May with Naomi.
“She’s not going back to WWE, but you cannot always rule that out,” Meltzer said, per Bleacher Report. “Maybe they’ll just say ‘She’s more trouble than she’s worth. She’s asking for so much money.’ Which is, of course, the attitude a month ago of ‘Oh my god how can she ask for so much money?’ January 4th Tokyo Dome and other dates, and Mercedes Vernado or whatever name she will go with, but as of right now—she’s done with WWE. It can change at any moment, but that’s the situation right now.”
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Banks and Naomi left WWE because of their frustrations with booking. There was hope that the 30-year-old pro wrestler would return when Vince McMahon left WWE in the summer. Triple H has taken over creative and has a close relationship with Banks dating back to her time at NXT.
There’s no word if Banks will be competing at the New Japan Pro Wrestling event. But with her likely not returning to WWE, it does open the door for her to sign with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) since the company has a strong working relationship with New Japan and other promotions.
In September, Banks appeared on Ahch-To-Radio and discussed her future in the entertainment world. “There is so much that I’m creating right now. It’s all under an umbrella,” Banks said, per Inside the Ropes. “I’m an actor, writer, producer, and extraordinaire entertainer. All within those realms, I’m doing something. You just have to stay tuned. You have a microphone, that’s something big I want to do. Not podcasting, but music. I don’t know if that’s the number one next thing because acting…there are a lot of things coming up acting right now. I’m really starting to focus my mind around music and the music realm and being kind of a director in that space of creating a musical video piece.”