Fantasy Booking a Sasha Banks Return to WWE and a Mercedes Moné Return to AEW

Regardless of whether the fans know her as Sasha Banks or Mercedes Moné, she calls herself "The Conversation" for a reason.

The Boss has been a hot topic of discussion among fans for the past year and a half since walking out of WWE, and even after her highly anticipated arrival in New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the onset of 2023, rumors still circulate in regards to where she'll show up next.

Moné went on to win the IWGP Women's Championship a short while later but has maintained a low profile since suffering an ankle injury in May. Although she appeared in the crowd at All Elite Wrestling's All In pay-per-view in August, there has been no significant update on her working with the promotion in any capacity.

That could open the doors for her to return to WWE after all, especially with best friend Bayley being in the middle of a major storyline heading into WrestleMania season. It's also possible she remains a free agent and continues to branch out of the wrestling business.

Although her future in the ring is entirely up in the air at the moment, the following fantasy-booking scenarios could well come to fruition in the months ahead.

Why a Sasha Banks WWE Return Makes Perfect Sense Right Now

Triple H has done a commendable job of loading up the WWE women's division since assuming creative control of the company in mid-2022.

He's gone above and beyond to make the women a focal point on both Raw and SmackDown. That includes signing Jade Cargill and bringing back the likes of Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox, Michin, Kairi Sane and others.

Sasha Banks could and should be the latest notable name added to that list.

Although The Game wasn't able to re-sign the 31-year-old when her contract expired in 2022, much has changed since then. Vince McMahon seems to be mostly out of the picture when it comes to day-to-day decisions, and CM Punk's recent return indicates nothing is impossible with this new regime.

For months, tension has been teased within the ranks of Damage CTRL, specifically with Iyo Sky gaining more power as WWE women's champion and Bayley not being on the same page as the other members.

The Role Model being exiled from her own faction and aligning with Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi wouldn't be enough. The babyfaces shouldn't want to help her after everything she's put them through this past year, either.

Banks resurfacing to help her longtime friend and foe see the light and wage war with Damage CTRL is the strongest story that can be told in the SmackDown women's division en route to WrestleMania 40.

Long-Term Projection for Sasha Banks in WWE

How WWE would handle Banks beyond the inevitable reunion with Bayley and feud with Damage CTRL is key.

The biggest issue with her last stint in the company was that it was clear there were no creative plans in place with her. She and Naomi attempted to elevate the women's tag team division, but that was not and never will be a priority to WWE.

Even before then, she was directionless for the final few months of 2021 and had a shockingly unremarkable run in the women's Royal Rumble match. For a star of her caliber and with her immense level of popularity, to have her spinning her wheels was inexcusable.

Getting to take on new opponents in fresh environments such as New Japan Pro-Wrestling was a big part of the appeal of her leaving WWE after a decade for fans. She's reinvented herself with an updated look and attitude, which she'd have to bring with her to WWE to avoid rehashing the Banks of old.

Both Raw and SmackDown have plenty of top female talent right now, so if there isn't a prominent spot for her on either brand, she should hold off on returning until there is.

How Mercedes Moné Can Take AEW Women's Division to Next Level

Whether Banks would automatically skyrocket to the top of the WWE women's scene immediately upon returning is uncertain due to the depth of their division, but there can be no question that she'd be the biggest female star in AEW—and one of the biggest stars overall—if she joined.

Her crossover appeal and potential would bring new eyes to the product and make her stand out from the rest of the roster. That much was evident when she was shown sitting in the crowd at Wembley Stadium for All In London and instantly became the talk of the town.

AEW needs several women it can build around, and while Toni Storm and Julia Hart are the perfect names to be leading the division as champions, Moné can be an attraction without needing to hold a title.

On top of all that, AEW has a working relationship with NJPW, which would allow Moné to occasionally wrestle in Japan as well and remain in control of her schedule and other commitments.

Tony Khan would want to use the acquisition of Moné to send the message that the women's division will become a bigger part of programming with her at helm.

Moné Doesn't Have to Put Pen to Paper with AEW

Moné would be a significant signing for AEW, but the perception of the women's division will not change until the powers-that-be do more to spotlight them.

Meeting a quota of one random women's match per week isn't enough of an effort, and Moné should see that before making any sort of permanent deal with the company.

Toni Storm, Saraya, Ruby Soho, Thunder Rosa and Jamie Hayter have all been big pickups, but the AEW women's division is still several notches below the men's. They hardly ever headline Dynamite or Collision, aren't given many storylines to work with and tend to be short-changed for time quite often.

It would be worth it for Moné to take her talents to AEW and mix it up with the women it has on the roster, but only if she can work under a short-term deal of some sort. Perhaps she finds that's where she's happiest and can thrive, leading to signing there full-time.

As surreal of a sight as Moné in AEW would be, committing to a three-year contract is a real risk when a majority of its women's division doesn't feel as special as it should.

Predicting Where The Boss Will Appear Next

With Moné recently releasing a video of her training in the ring, it's safe to assume her grand comeback is imminent. Where she'll decide to return to the ring is the bigger question.

Staying put in NJPW for the time being and chasing the IWGP Women's Championship would be a fine choice, though Dave Meltzer noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter last month that she currently isn't under contract to NJPW or Stardom and there are no plans in place for her until she's cleared to compete.

WWE or AEW would be ideal landing spots with those being bigger promotions with more buzz these days. Of the two, WWE would be the better bet.

A short stint in AEW shouldn't be counted out completely, but there isn't a clear path for her there, unless she was to cut Toni Storm's momentum short and beat her for the AEW Women's World Championship.

As the WWE product heats up ahead of WrestleMania 40, now is the time for The Boss to make her presence felt in the company she once called home and reassert her status as one of the best in the world.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.