WATCH: Mercedes Moné, FKA Sasha Banks, Makes Post-WWE Return To Wrestling

Mercedes Moné, formerly known as Sasha Banks during her tenure with WWE, made her official return to professional wrestling on Wednesday (January 4).

Moné debuted at New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 17 event at the Tokyo Dome, interrupting and attacking current and inaugural IWGP Women's Champion KAIRI -- formerly known as Kairi Sane in WWE -- before challenging her to a title match at NJPW's Battle in the Valley in San Jose, California on February 18.

The appearance followed numerous reports that Moné would appear at Wrestle Kingdom, NJPW's biggest annual event, after officially becoming a free agent on January 1, 2023.

Moné also had previously teased a match KAIRI in October 2022 amid her hiatus from WWE.

The former RAW and SmackDown Women's champion had previously made several trademark filings in relation to her real name, which included Mercedes Moné, as well as Moné Talks, Banks Moné and Statement Maker, under her company, Soulnado, which led to more speculation of a wrestling return outside of WWE.

Banks and co-Women's Tag Champion Naomi left during the live broadcast of RAW prior to their scheduled main event match in May 2022 and were suspended by WWE days later.

The duo won the women's tag-team during Night Two of WrestleMania 38 in April, which was Banks' third reign, having previously served as an inaugural champion in February 2019 and again in May 2020, both alongside Bayley, who recently made her return alongside Dakota Kai -- who was released by the company earlier this year -- and Iyo Sky (formerly known as Io Shirai.)

Banks has consistently been one of WWE's top female stars since debuting on its main roster in 2015, having won both the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships a combined six times, as well as headlining Night One WrestleMania 37 with Bianca Belair, becoming the first Black women to jointly headline WWE's biggest annual event in history.