AEW Star Opens Up About Friendship With Sasha Banks

The status of WWE's relationship with Sasha Banks, whose real name is Mercedes Varnado, is up in the air, but it's looking more and more likely that she'll be appearing at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 17 in less than 2 weeks. As rumors continue to swirl about where Varnado could possibly end up next, AEW star Dax Harwood appeared on the "Gentleman Villain" podcast to announce his new show, "FTR with Dax Harwood," and spoke about his relationship with the former world champion.

"That's my girl," Harwood said. "We had the same tryout together in WWE." Harwood explained that the two are so close that Varnado was told the gender of Harwood's child before either he or his wife knew. The two wanted to reveal the baby's gender through the use of cake pops, and had the doctor put the details in an envelope, which was then given to Varnado, who contacted the bakery for the couple.

"Just like me, I feel that sometimes she gets a bad rap because of how passionate she is and how much she wants," Harwood continued. "She wants it all, but she wants to work for it. That's the same with us. ... Huge star, huge heart. [She's a] beautiful human being. The greatest women's wrestler of all time."

Varnado is currently in Japan, lending even more credence to the idea of her appearing at Wrestle Kingdom 17. There's also a great deal of speculation abound concerning AEW star Saraya's mystery partner for the promotion's January 11 episode of "AEW Dynamite" in Los Angeles, with many fans suspecting Varnado as a possibility. While there's nothing concrete regarding news on Varnado's contract with WWE, numerous reports indicate that she successfully negotiated an exit that will free her up for outside bookings as of January 1, 2023.