Sasha Banks' status in WWE has been one of the biggest stories in professional wrestling since, well, since she and Naomi – real name Trinity Fatu – walked out of the company back in June when Vince McMahon was in charge. It's been reported numerous times that she's done, just as many times that she's coming back, and though it all, hundreds of wrestling shows have been run, and she hasn't been a part of any of them for better or worse.

And yet, according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, those floodgates are about to swing wide open, as New Japan Pro Wrestling has reportedly booked Banks for multiple dates around WrestleKingom 17, even if her exact role is up in the air. This booking is also reportedly not being done through WWE, who have allowed The Good Brothers, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows to work in NJPW and Shinsuke Nakamura to wrestle The Great Muta in Pro Wrestling NOAH. Is Banks a free agent? Is Mercedes Varnado, or Mercedes Mone, the name she recently trademarked, about to hit the open market and become eligible to appear at any or all wrestling events that can pay up for her services? Based on Dave Meltzer's reporting per The Wrestling Observer, the answer to that question is a certified probably.

“I asked WWE about it and they had basically nothing to say as far as the situation,” Meltzer said. “[WWE] were talking to her about a return and they were very far apart on money. That was the last that I had heard. Again, could AEW afford her? She wanted a lot. What she was asking for was a very high number for a WWE woman wrestler but again, if you look at the amount of money WWE takes in, she still would have been underpaid.”

“Her contract was to expire at the end of the year. However, as we've seen with so many people in that company, I mean, she hasn't worked there so they can freeze the deal and they've frozen deals for people who have walked out, they've frozen deals for people who have been hurt, and we've heard over and over again so many people who wanted to be free agents had to wait, and wait and wait. Perhaps they just figured we don't want to freeze you and you can go or perhaps her lawyer said ‘we're going to challenge it' and whatever, I don't know what's happened.”

Though Meltzer doesn't believe that Banks has signed her contract with NJPW for the dates and is adamant that she won't be wrestling in NJPW if she does appear at the show, all signs are pointing to Banks being in Japan for the first week of January to make “Mone Moves” on the indies.

Dave Meltzer comments on if Sasha Banks has a future outside of WWE in AEW.

So, if Banks is going to be a free agent and in Japan for Wrestle Kingdom 17, the next logical question has to be where she will wrestle next as a “home” promotion. Sure, NJPW is great, and they're starting to team up more with Stardom for mixed-gender shows, but the company founded by Antonio Inoki doesn't have a women's division and likely wouldn't allow Banks to pursue acting opportunities in America. Would Banks jump ship to AEW?

“I do not know how AEW fits in, Meltzer said. “Obviously, everybody is going to jump to the speculation that she is the mystery partner of Saraya against Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker on the Forum show January 11 and now if it's not her, it's probably going to be a terrible disappointment.”

“New Japan Pro Wrestling cannot afford to pay the numbers that WWE was willing to pay her, I can say that. AEW could, obviously, afford that. So, is it a deal where she does both? Perhaps, that I cannot confirm at all. I know when I asked AEW about it, I got a non-answer.”

In that regard, Meltzer is spot on; AEW can swing contracts in the same range as WWE for the right act and have pursued talents like Bryan Danielson and Rey Mysterio with the offer of the same per-date payouts but a more flexible work schedule, even if they haven't always won the pursuit. Either way, regardless of what the future holds for Banks in AEW, one thing is clear: “As of right now, she's done with WWE,” Meltzer said. “Like I said, it could change at any moment but that's the situation right now.”