Sasha Banks Reportedly ‘Done’ With WWE

The long and tumultuous relationship between Sasha Banks and WWE is coming to an end.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Banks would be appearing at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 next month, and according to the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer (h/t WrestlingNews.co), that appearance is not booked through WWE and will signify the end of her lengthy tenure with the company.

Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio, “She is going to be making appearances for NJPW in 2023. Barring a last-minute change and her backing out on what she has agreed to, she’s not going back to WWE, but you cannot always rule that out. That’s where it kind of all stands…but as of right now, she’s done with WWE. Like I said, it could change at any moment.”

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Banks’ WWE status has been up in the air for much of 2022 after she and Naomi walked out of Raw back in May, but Banks leaving the company for good? For many fans, that was always a case of “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Well, it’s finally time to believe it.

After scrubbing her social media accounts of the Banks moniker, “The Boss” has been going by her real name of Mercedes Varnado as she has continued to break out in the world of entertainment. As noted by Meltzer, though, Banks’ contract situation is a tricky situation because of WWE’s ability to potentially freeze her contract due to all the time she has missed over the past several months.

However, Banks heading to NJPW—and doing so without WWE’s approval—signals that her decade-long Hall of Fame caliber stint with WWE is officially coming to an end. Her surprising departure from the company unsurprisingly boils down not just to creative differences but to money, too.

“They [WWE] had been talking to both of them, but they had been talking to her [Banks] about a return and they were very far apart on money. That was the last that I had heard,” Meltzer said. “What she was asking for was a very high number for a WWE woman wrestler, but if you look at the amount of money that WWE takes in, she would still be underpaid. Everyone from Roman Reigns to Brock Lesnar is underpaid.”

Indeed, with WWE consistently generating record revenue, the salaries of top stars—like Reigns and Lesnar—pale in comparison to most other major sports organizations, including the NBA and MLB. WWE’s female stars have traditionally been woefully underpaid, especially in comparison to the company’s top male stars, but names like Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Banks have become household names on par or even above most of their male counterparts.

Banks, however, is one of the few who has made quite the name for herself beyond the squared circle, most notably appearing in the hit show The Mandalorian on Disney+ and having aspirations of taking on more acting roles in the future. Known for her magnetic charisma and ability to play either a villain or fan favorite, Banks figures to follow a long line of former WWE stars, like Batista and John Cena, who have gone on to have successful careers in entertainment.

But that doesn’t mean that Banks will give up her pro wrestling career altogether—not by a long shot.

According to Meltzer, “She is going to the [Wrestle Kingdom] show, she will be on the show, she will not be wrestling on the show. She has dates booked with NJPW. In her deal, which I believe is not signed, she could still sign with WWE and this could all fall apart, but she has pretty much agreed to their terms. As far as they’re [NJPW] concerned, they have a deal.”

Banks also is set up well to be the latest in a long line of top-tier pro wrestling superstars who have cashed in with big money deals either in WWE or AEW. Names like Edge and CM Punk are among the high-profile stars who have gotten huge part-time contracts for limited appearances, and Banks is certainly a star of that caliber who could do the same.

In a perfect world, Banks will get to pursue her in-ring dreams—like wrestling in Japan—while also having the opportunity to expand her public profile in the world of entertainment. Banks is setting herself up to do just that by leaving WWE, which has notoriously held back many superstars from pursuing non-wrestling projects without the company’s approval.

Despite all that she’s accomplished, Banks is still just 30 years, and in both AEW and WWE, many of the company’s top stars are performing at an elite level in their late 30s to mid 40s. In other words, Banks has all the time in the world to return to WWE or go to AEW, which is already teasing that she could show up soon either as a rival for Jade Cargill or a tag team partner for the recently-returning Saraya.

Regardless of whether Banks ends up in WWE way down the road or heads elsewhere for the long haul, she has positioned herself for plenty of success without the imfamous restrictions she might face if she stayed in WWE.