As of right now, Sasha Banks has agreed to terms for multiple dates with New Japan Pro Wrestling but re-signing with WWE is still a possibility.
On Saturday, our own Dave Meltzer confirmed PWInsider's report that Banks is scheduled to attend Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4, 2023. He also noted that the booking with NJPW did not go through WWE.
On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio released early Sunday, Meltzer reported that Banks' WWE contract is set to expire at the end of the year, and the last he had heard, the two sides were far apart on money. While a deal with NJPW has not been officially signed, Banks has agreed to terms for multiple dates in 2023 with the promotion.
"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."
Meltzer also addressed the possibility that WWE could freeze Banks' contract as a result of her walking out on an episode of Raw in May and having not returned since.
"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," Meltzer continued.
"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."
Meltzer also noted that Banks will appear at Wrestle Kingdom 17 but is not scheduled to wrestle on the show.
"I do know this, she will be going to the show. She will appear on the show, she will not wrestle on the show. She has dates with New Japan Pro Wrestling in her deal, I do not believe it is signed. She could still sign with WWE and this could all fall apart but she has pretty much agreed to their terms. So as far as they are concerned, they have a deal."
How AEW fits into the situation is not clear.
"I do not know how AEW fits in. 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."
"As of right now, she's done with WWE. Like I said, it could change at any moment but that's the situation right now."
More must-reads: