Impact Champion Shows Interest In Wrestling Mercedes Mone

Mercedes Mone – formerly Sasha Banks in WWE – returned to pro wrestling on the first night of NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 17 pay-per-view and attacked IWGP Women's Champion KAIRI following her successful title defense against Tam Nakano. As a result, the 30-year-old will now challenge for the IWGP Women's Championship at a sold-out NJPW Battle in the Valley on February 18, which will be her first match since walking out of WWE in May 2022. Mone now seemingly has the freedom to perform wherever she wishes, which has caught the attention of Impact Knockouts World Champion Mickie James. 

"I've never had a singles match with Sasha, and I would really, really love to have a singles match [with her]," James told SEScoops. 

James, who successfully overcame Jordynne Grace at Impact Wrestling's Hard to Kill PPV earlier this month to capture the Impact Knockouts World Championship and save her career, shared plenty of praise for Mone in the interview. The former WWE Women's Champion claimed that any wrestling company would benefit from having her around. James added that she's excited to see Mone's latest journey unfold.  

"The world is her oyster," James said. "She can literally do whatever she wants ... The fact that she doesn't need to be on a roster because she could go act, or she could go do a lot of things. It shows that she has a genuine passion for wrestling."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "SEScoops" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.