Bushiroad President Says Sasha Banks At Wrestle Kingdom Is 'A Possibility'

In case it wasn't already increasingly clear that the soon-to-be former Sasha Banks, Mercedes Varnado, was going to be appearing in some capacity at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom on January 4 at the Tokyo Dome, it became pretty obvious on Friday. Not only was it reported that Varnado is working the biggest show in the history of STARDOM, NJPW's sister promotion, on April 23 at Yokohama Arena, but rapper TOMORO also shared photos of them hanging out together in Japan. Those weren't as overt as the big one, though: Takaaki Kidani, president and CEO of Bushiroad, the parent company of NJPW and STARDOM, giving the kind of answer in an interview that nobody in that position would give unless Varnado at Wrestle Kingdom was actually happening.

Asked about the Varnado rumors while being interviewed by Daily Sports for an article that was published on Friday, Kidani said that "There is a possibility that she will come to the Dome." (Translated using DeepL.) The article adds that with Varnado under WWE contract through the end of 2022, aside from the aforementioned quote, "President Kidani avoided making any specific mention of her."

Varnado's WWE contract status has been a subject of constant conversation and conflicting reports after she and Trinity "Naomi" Fatu walked out on an episode of "WWER Raw" back in May. Months later, it was reported that her representation was stressing that while she was taking bookings for appearances, they could not be at wrestling-related events until the start of 2023. While her return to WWE was at one point expected, that no longer appears to be the case.