Eight months after walking out of WWE, Sasha Banks has returned to professional wrestling.
The former WWE star reemerged on Wednesday by making her New Japan Pro-Wrestling debut at Wrestle Kingdom 17. Now going by the name Mercedes Moné, Banks confronted IWGP women’s champion Kairi to set up a future title match between the two. That match will happen at NJPW’s Battle in the Valley event in San Jose on Feb. 18.
Banks attacked Kairi in a post-match angle following Kairi’s title defense against Tam Nakano at Wrestle Kingdom. Declaring herself as “the standard, the conversation, the blueprint and the CEO” of the women’s division, Banks announced that she’s coming to both NJPW and its sister promotion Stardom.