Current AEW star trained Mercedes Moné (fka Sasha Banks) for first non-WWE wrestling event

NJPW and STARDOM star, Mercedes Moné made her debut for NJPW x STARDOM at Wrestle Kingdom 17.

She confronted former WWE star KAIRI and challenged her to a match for the IWGP Women's Championship.

Moné opened up about training alongside prominent wrestlers, including AEW's Bandido.

During an interview with New Japan Pro Wrestling, Moné revealed that she visited various wrestling schools to learn from trainers. She added that working in Japan has been a dream since her teenage years.

"I went to all different wrestling schools to learn from trainers that I had grown up watching; from Skayde to Ricky Marvin to Bandido, there are so many legends there to learn from.

To train at that altitude as well, it gets you ready from a conditioning perspective so much faster as well. But yeah, I was ready in October, and I knew coming to Japan was exactly what I wanted.

I was shooting a movie in between training in Mexico then, but I knew I was going to Japan to train in December whether it was doing something with New Japan or not.

When it all came together with NJPW though for Wrestle Kingdom it was ‘wow, OK, this is really happening’. This has been a dream literally since I was a teenager." said Mercedes Moné

Mickie James would like to face Mercedes Moné in a singles match

Mercedes Moné shared the ring with numerous top names during her time with WWE.

One woman who has expressed interest in a match with the star formerly known as Sasha Banks is Mickie James. The IMPACT Knockouts Champion discussed Monés recent journey while speaking in an interview with SEScoops. James said:

"I'm excited for her. I've said this, the world is her oyster. She can literally do whatever wants. I think any company would benefit from having her on their roster. She is a star.

The fact that she doesn’t need to be on a roster because she could go act or she could go do a lot of things, it shows that she has a genuine passion for wrestling and she’s great."

Moné will battle KAIRI at Battle in the Valley on February 18th, for the IWGP Women's Championship.