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After leaving WWE in 2022, the former Sasha Banks began living what she called her "international dream" by making her NJPW debut to issue a major challenge to KAIRI, asking her to have a title match. IWGP female. The two finally officially clashed on February 18, 2023 at NJPW Battle in the Valley, where the current Mercedes Moné managed to defeat the champion to take home the belt, then being officially challenged by AZM who is waiting for her at the gate.
In a recent interview with the Under The Ring podcast, Mercedes let herself go talking about the training she did in the months away from WWE, before her debut in NJPW, confessing that she wouldn't mind opening a wrestling school in the future: "The wrestling is such a universal language.
When you're in there, you don't have to say anything, you just flow. When I was in Mexico, I flew with luchadors. When I was in Japan, I had a flow with them, even though I couldn't understand exactly what they were saying. I like to learn every single style that I can possibly be because I want to be the best in every area when it comes to Japanese, European, Mexican wrestling.
I want to be the best ever. I am a student of the game. I have traveled the world training with the best trainers and the best wrestlers of all different generations. So I'm ready, I'm elated. This is also for my growth in the future because I want to have my own wrestling school someday.
So, being able to have all these different techniques and different styles is something I want to be able to give to my students one day so I can teach them how to be the greatest of all time themselves."
Mercedes Moné is a true champion
In the wake of these statements by Mercedes Moné, we can report that KUSHIDA, also a former WWE, spoke well of her, praising her following some training sessions they had together at the NJPW American Dojo: "[Mercedes Moné] is a great role model.
She's on top of the world when it comes to being a female pro-wrestler and just an entertainer in general, but she has such a love for it that she gets to share and understand different things". Speaking on his FTR with Dax Harwood, podcast, the AEW star speculated that Mercedes Mone's pride could have played a role in her issues with the Stamford-based promotion.
"She's very prideful. Sometimes pride can rub people the wrong way because you do stand up for what you believe in and you don't take no for an answer. But when you take it so seriously, it's a recipe for success, but a lot of people aren't going to like you because of it. I think that's maybe what happened to her," he said.