Despite the hint dropped on AEW Dynamite, there is a feeling in WWE that Sasha Banks (Mercedes Mone) will return and Dave Meltzer does not think she will be showing up next week on AEW TV.
“She is not in Los Angeles. She is not coming to AEW. I don’t think she wants to make that commitment. Because if she goes to AEW it’s a long commitment.” Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio.
Brian Alvarez noted that during her interview segment, Britt Baker said “I’m the boss.” Alvarez said that since they announced Toni Storm as Saraya’s partner, we know that Mone won’t be wrestling next week. Alvarez said that nobody in AEW has denied that Mone is debuting next week. Below is the video of Baker saying the “boss” line on Dynamite.
The Killer and The Pillar have spoken #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/K4SAQJU9Ol
— AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) January 5, 2023
Meltzer said, “I’ve heard denials from AEW people in the match. They knew that it was really screwed. That’s why they had to announce somebody this week because they knew it was really screwed because everybody was thinking that it was her and it wasn’t her.”
Alvarez said, “If that’s the case, I’m wondering why the line was in there about ‘I’m the boss.’ Because what it has achieved is now people are still thinking she’s going to be there because of that boss line. So what I thought was, maybe she is going to debut next week but she’s not allowed to wrestle until after the Battle in the Valley, like her first match is gonna be for New Japan…if New Japan signed her they are gonna want her last match. Is it possible that she is coming in but she is not wrestling next week, obviously?”
Meltzer said, “I also know from WWE that they are very strongly under the impression that she will not wrestle for AEW…They think that she’s coming back at some point and she’ll get this out of her system [and] she’ll do her New Japan matches. She’s only contracted for a couple of matches…If she’s going to AEW, she’s got to sign for 3 years minimum because why bother if she’s going back [to WWE]. For AEW it would be really stupid to put her on TV if she’s gonna go back in 6 months. I don’t know that she wants to make that commitment that she can’t go back…”
Meltzer added, “Again, what will happen? I just know that over in Japan and everything, everybody was pretty much saying this is just a New Japan deal and it’s not an AEW deal.”
Fightful Select reported that some of the AEW talent they spoke with said that they have been “no sold” when asked if Varnado is the person showing up next week.
As was noted last night, DAZN’s Steve Muehlhausen reported that Mone will be there next week so we’ll see what happens next Wednesday. Muehlhausen tweeted:
“Sources: Mercedes Varnado will be Saraya’s partner next week in #AEWDynamite in LA against Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter. Couldn’t announce or make a major hint due to her being still under contract to WWE until the beginning of 2023.”
https://twitter.com/SMuehlhausenJr/status/1610796856581169153
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