After weeks of speculation and months of waiting, the historic moment finally graced pro wrestling fans. Former WWE Women’s Champion, Sasha Banks, debuted on AEW at Big Business. With a new look and the moniker of CEO, along with retaining her AEW name, Mercedes Mone, she is now All Elite. However, Fightful Select has more information regarding her working with a rival company and her negotiations with WWE ahead of her debut.

Mercedes Mone will appear on NJPW in a limited capacity despite AEW debut

Mone debuted in the NJPW with a surprise appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17, generating significant buzz. She challenged IWGP Women’s Champion Kairi Sane in a highly anticipated match, one of the first major women’s matches in NJPW history. Despite falling short at Wrestle Kingdom, she later defeated Sane to win the IWGP Women’s Championship, becoming the first gaijin (foreign) wrestler to hold the title.

On their Patreon, Fightful Select posted details about Mone’s debut and the months before it. According to their reports, Mone had signed on with AEW months before her debut. This was while she was still in NJPW. Moreover, she will still be working for NJPW despite her debut.

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Sasha Banks Return: From Bayley to Naomi, Here Are All The WWE Superstars Spotted at Mercedes Mone’s AEW Big Business Debut

While the company did want her to continue, she valued the opportunity AEW provided over them. The report indicates that the deal with AEW is a multi-year deal. She was also in talks with WWE about appearing at the Royal Rumble. However, those talks fell short, and she chose to ink a deal Tony Khan’s promotion. Another significant factor that hampered the talks with the WWE was the fact that Mone was injured. As of today, she is yet to be medically cleared to wrestle again. This is why the WWE hesitated to sign her and why she didn’t wrestle in a match during her debut on AEW.

But how bad was the injury the CEO suffered

How bad was Mercedes Mone’s injury?

Mone suffered a severe ankle injury in May 2023 during a match against Willow Nightingale at NJPW Resurgence. Doctors initially considered the injury career-ending. Mone herself disagreed and underwent two surgeries to recover. On the podcast Kick Rocks, she detailed how it broke her, knowing that her career could’ve ended.

The injury forced her to relinquish the IWGP Women’s Championship in NJPW and sidelined her for ten months. During this time, she struck a deal with Tony Khan and AEW. Despite NJPW having their doors open for her return, she prioritized a return back home. However, there is still a chance that Mercedes Mone could challenge for the IWGP title in the future. What did you think about Mone’s debut? Tell us your thoughts on her working for AEW and NJPW in the comments below.

Sasha Banks Return: From Bayley to Naomi, Here Are All The WWE Superstars Spotted at Mercedes Mone’s AEW Big Business Debut