Mercedes Mone (FKA Sasha Banks) is a woman with many titles: professional wrestler, actress, business owner, runway model, and, of course, anime enthusiast. With her affinity for all things anime, Mone was invited to attend the eighth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Japan. She was one of the presenters at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Now, she has concluded her business in Japan and is all geared up for ‘Business’ in the United States. That’s not us saying it, but here is a recent social media update from Banks herself.
Mone is all set for All Elite debut after Japan trip
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It is known that Mercedes Mone is a fan of anime. In fact, anime characters have inspired even some of her costumes. Such as the iconic Sailor Moon used in Royal Rumble a couple of years ago. So no wonder she was invited to the eighth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards, which took place at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Tokyo, Japan, on March 2.
In addition, Mone also received the opportunity to present the 2024 award for “Best Slice of Life” alongside Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. After ending her trip to Japan, Mercedes Mone has now taken to Instagram to share an update with her fans.
In the story she can be seen sitting on a plane; possibly on her flight back home. In the caption she wrote, “Handled all my Big Business in Japan. See you next summer.” This ‘big business’ is surely a nod to her AEW debut at AEW Dynamite Big Business.
As for the anime fans who want more details on what award Mone presented, Mone and Lawrence explained, that the “Best Slice of Life” category “focuses on the things that happen every day”—the “small human moments” that shape people’s lives. After revealing “Bocchi the Rock!” as the eventual winner, the ‘Boss’ posted a photograph of herself sitting next to rap sensation and fellow host Megan Thee Stallion. Mone surely loves anime as well as the culture of Japan. Maybe that is why she decided to wrestle in the country after quitting the WWE. And she surely made a name for herself in the country due to her work in Stardom and NJPW.
Sasha Banks and her impactful performance in Japan
Mercedes Mone stunned the wrestling world by fulfilling her dream of competing in Japan by appearing at Wrestle Kingdom 17 at the Tokyo Dome, challenging Kairi Sane (also known as Kairi Hojo or KAIRI) to an IWGP Women’s Championship match.
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A couple of weeks later, she beat Sane to win the IWGP Women’s Championship in one of the best women’s matches of 2023. Her reign lasted a little less than 3 months. During this, she successfully held on to a triple threat vs AZM & Hazuki, until she finally lost the title to Mayu Iwatani at the All-Star Grand Queendom in April 2023.
Her time with Stardom & NJPW was shortened due to an ankle injury. She suffered it during the tournament to crown the first NJPW Strong Women’s Champion. In the first round, she defeated Stephanie Vaquer, a Chilean fighter and Giulia’s current challenger. However, she lost in the final to Willow Nightingale, in which she was injured. Wow, no wonder she became the biggest free agent in pro wrestling.
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So, are you excited to see what she manages to pull off in AEW? Let us know in the comments!
