Mercedes Moné made her New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) debut at Wrestle Kingdom 17 last month, marking the first time she has wrestled outside of WWE in over a decade.
Moné was last seen in WWE in May 2022, before she and Naomi exited a live taping of Raw while they were WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
But despite leaving WWE, Mercedes stayed close to her former co-workers, with real-life best friend Bayley, traveling all the way to Japan just to support her friend.
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Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Bayley explained why it was so important for her to make the trip.
“I went there alone,” Bayley said (via fighter). “Some of us flew there just because she’s been there for all my big moments, you know, even though she wasn’t part of the company.
“I came back. I’ve had my big matches; she’s there for me. So, of course, I want to be there for her, and we’ve done a lot together and in WWE. She means a lot to me and a lot to the wrestling world. I have to be there for this moment.”
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Bayley went on to say that he flew in right after Monday’s Raw ended and arrived in Japan two hours before the show started.
“I knew how important it was to her, and she just loves it,” she continued.
“Everybody knows how much she loves it and how much wrestling means to her, and how much WWE means to her, and she wouldn’t be there without WWE. “
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Bayley was also asked if she thinks Moné would return to WWE (where she was known as Sasha Banks).
“I’m going to say yes because this is her house,” she said. “This is her dream, and I love to see what she’s up to and what she’s going to do in the coming months.
“She is literally going to take over the world, conquer the world, but I know this is her home and where her heart is,” added Bayley.
“By her heart, I mean, so she needs to come back to me, you know? I need her, I need my travel partner, but I’m going to say yes like I’ll never give up hope that she’ll come back.”
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