Mercedes Varnado

Born

1992-01-26

Birthplace

Fairfield, California, USA

Biography

Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado is an American professional wrestler and actress who has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) since January 2024, where she performs under the ring name Mercedes Moné, held the AEW Women's World Championship, the AEW TBS Championship, and won the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament in 2025 and 2026. She competed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and its sister promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom, winning the Strong Women’s Championship and the IWGP Women’s Championship, and in Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), where she captured the Undisputed British Women’s Championship. She is the first and only woman to win championships in WWE, AEW, and NJPW, and on October 10, 2025, tied Último Guerrero’s record by holding ten titles simultaneously after winning the Bodyslam Women’s Championship. Eight days later, she broke the record by winning the interim ROH Women’s World Television Championship, captured her twelfth title the following day by winning the WPW Rumble in the Burt Women’s Championship, and on November 15, 2025, won the HOG Heavyweight Title to become the only wrestler in history to hold thirteen titles at once. Varnado previously rose to prominence in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2012 to 2022 under the ring name Sasha Banks, becoming one of the most decorated women’s wrestlers of her era after winning the NXT Women’s Championship, the WWE Women’s Championship five times, the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship three times, and the WWE Women’s World Championship. During her WWE run, Pro Wrestling Illustrated named her Woman of the Year in 2015, awarded Match of the Year in 2015 against Bayley, Feud of the Year in 2016 against Charlotte Flair and 2020 against Bayley, Tag Team of the Year in 2020 with Bayley, and ranked the duo No. 3 in the PWI Tag Team 50 in 2020. In AEW, she was named Woman of the Year in 2025 and ranked No. 1 in the PWI Women’s 250 that same year.