WWE veteran may snub AEW and return after a year to dethrone Rhea Ripley at SummerSlam

SmackDown Women's Champion Rhea Ripley is basking in the glory of her first successful title defense against Zelina Vega at WWE Backlash in Puerto Rico.

Ripley's winning momentum continued on Monday Night RAW this week when she squashed Dana Brooke in a non-title match. In the aftermath, The Eradicator laid waste to her fallen opponent by locking in the Prism Trap to add insult to injury.

However, Natalya returned to stare daggers through the champion, teasing an imminent title program between the two en route to Night of Champions.

Despite her legendary status, the Queen of Hearts is in no position to end the fairytale run of Rhea Ripley this month. WWE probably brought her back as a stepping stone for a buzzworthy program heading into The Biggest Party of the Summer this year.

The Judgment Day member's title reign could be seriously jeopardized if Mercedes Moné returns as Sasha Banks in time for SummerSlam 2023. The Blueprint parted ways with the Stamford-based promotion on a sour note last year, citing frustration over her booking.

She embarked on a new chapter by jumping ship to NJPW and its sister promotion, Stardom. Moné soon captured IWGP Women's Champion, a title she held for 64 days before losing to Mayu Iwatani.

Mercedes Moné still has a few dates left on her contract and is heavily linked with the forthcoming AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door and All In this year.

With Triple H steering the WWE ship alongside Vince McMahon, there's a strong chance he might convince the former Sasha Banks to return to WWE for a blockbuster showdown against the Mami. The two women have never crossed each other's paths in the singles competition, though both have clashed several times in multi-women matches.

Having an immensely popular babyface in Sasha Banks knocking Rhea Ripley off her perch at SummerSlam would change the landscape of the women's division.

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Mercedes Moné has always wanted to work with Rhea Ripley in WWE

Despite not having a full-fledged program, Mercedes Moné is well aware of Rhea Ripley's meteoric rise in the business.

Back in 2021, The Blueprint heaped praise on The Eradicator and noted that she'd like to work with her someday:

(Rhea) Who is killing it. She's awesome. I hope to work with her one day. She's an up-and-comer. I can't believe how young she is. I watch her and go, 'Wow, she's talented,'"

Will Mercedes Moné return to her old stomping grounds? Or will she continue her world tour with the next stop being AEW? Only time will tell.

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Would you like to see Sasha Banks return to dethrone Rhea Ripley at SummerSlam 2023? Sound off in the comments section below.