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As PWInsider.com broke several weeks ago, New Japan Pro Wrestling is bringing Mercedes Varnado in for the 1/4/23 Wrestle Kingdom 17 event at the Tokyo Dome.
PWInsider.com can also exclusively confirm that Banks' WWE Women's Tag Team Championship partner Trinity "Naomi" Fatu is currently slated to be in Japan. Should Fatu appear in some fashion at Wrestle Kingdom 17, it would be her first appearance in wrestling circles since she and Banks walked out of a May 2022 WWE Friday Night Smackdown taping.
New Japan sources would not confirm they are bringing Naomi in and intimated she was coming of her own accord, so it may be that Fatu is simply traveling to Japan to join Varnado at the event to support her and won't even be seen publicly.
Naomi signed a WWE developmental deal back in 2009 and had a long run with WWE that included being a focal point of WWE's Total Divas cast.
Banks and Naomi have not been listed on WWE's internal roster for some time, but are currently still listed on the active WWE website roster. Banks has been in Japan for several weeks and as PWInsider.com reported, was brought over by New Japan. Wrestle Kingdom 17 this Wednesday will feature former WWE star KAIRI defending the IWGP Women's Championship against Tam Nakano.
Stay tuned.
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