Marking her first wrestling appearance since May of 2022, Sasha Banks came to the headlines in early 2023 as she arrived at the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. Quitting the WWE, she and Naomi walked out before an episode of WWE Raw because of the creative differences and the two wanted to make a name for themselves in the outside world which they were able to achieve, initially.
While Naomi joined IMPACT Wrestling, Sasha Banks started a solid run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Stardom as Mercedes Moné until suffering an injury that shelved her for months starting in the summer. She was out of action for the rest of 2023 and in between rumors mills started running rampant about her potential WWE return now that she’s no longer under contract with NJPW.
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Over the last few weeks of December 2023, the rumors of this massive comeback got fueled up in a big way as reports surfaced claiming that Sasha Banks was indeed having discussions with the WWE official. If the latest reports are any indication then the deal negotiations have hit a roadblock, leading to a standstill situation.
According to the reports of Fightful Select, WWE engaged in talks with Sasha Banks about her potential return to the company. While the initial conversations were amicable, both parties couldn’t reach an agreement on a deal.
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Monetary reasons created a roadblock in Sasha Banks’ WWE return
WWE sources assert that they walked away from the negotiations due to unconfirmed reasons. On that note, Fightful had previously reported that Sasha Banks’ asking price exceeded Charlotte Flair’s new deal which is the highest possessed by any current female WWE Superstar indicating that she possesses a high value in the market. It wasn’t confirmed whether this financial aspect contributed to the breakdown or if other factors came into play.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter later reported that WWE’s talk with Sasha Banks fell apart because of monetary reasons,
“She was absolutely negotiating with WWE. From what I was told, they were far apart on money. There is one person in WWE who said, like, ‘Until she shows up and until you hear she signed a contract, just remember what happened with CM Punk,’ like that. But I don’t know if they know or they were, but I was absolutely told that this afternoon.”
Following these failed negotiations, speculation again is gaining stem about Sasha Banks’ future destination. AEW previously had plans to sign her and since Fightful’s sources suggested that she might be appearing elsewhere imminently, Tony Khan’s promotion remains a valid option.
