Sasha Banks Return: Mercedes Mone’s AEW Contract Duration, Injury Status, Signing Date & More

AEW marked a significant milestone in their promotion’s history as former WWE Women’s champion Sasha Banks debuted at AEW Big Business. Coming out as Mercedes Mone at TD Garden in Boston, she had fans on their feet. With a very warm welcome in her hometown, she had some major announcements regarding her future in the company. Here is everything you need to know about her AEW contract, injury status, signing date, future career prospects, and much more.

Everything regarding Mercedes Mone’s AEW contract and injury

According to Fightful Select, Mone’s contract is a multi-year deal. This means that Mone will be part of AEW for quite some time. The deal was signed months before her NJPW contract ended and before she made her debut on AEW tonight. Sources also indicate that she was in talks with WWE during this time. The exact signing date hasn’t come to light yet but according to the reports, it was sometime in January 2024. Mone has been in talks with AEW since December 2023. There was a breakthrough in the negotiations in early January. This was around the time she filed for a trademark for her name.

Regarding her ankle injury, she sustained it in May 2023, which put her on the shelf for several months. The injury occurred during her match with Willow Nightingale at NJPW Resurgence 2023. Sitting out on the sidelines meant that the injury cost her 10 months of work while she recovered. Moreover, she required two surgeries to fix the issue. Furthermore, her doctors told her that she would not be able to wrestle again. This, she explained during her interview on the Kick Rocks podcast. However, she seems to have recovered from it, which she also mentioned on the podcast. The current status of the injury is unclear, though she did make an in-ring appearance during Big Business.

READ MORE: Sasha Banks Returns as “CEO” Mercedes Mone at AEW Big Business 2 Years After Quitting WWE

As far as her future in AEW, she will be working for the Florida-based promotion full time, but NJPW isn’t out of the picture yet. Speculations have it that she will appear in NJPW PPVs in 2024. While Fightful Select made it clear that she valued AEW for her return over NJPW, she does have unfinished business at the Japanese promotion. Her contract with AEW likely makes them her primary wrestling destination. This suggests NJPW appearances might be limited and dependent on AEW’s schedule and Mone’s recovery. NJPW’s Giulia claimed she would hold the Strong Women’s Champion title until she could face Mone. This hints at an intriguing chapter in Mone’s NJPW career as well as she will appear in both promotions.

What do you think about the former WWE star’s blockbuster debut at AEW?

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