Sasha Banks announced for convention appearance

The first non-WWE appearance for Sasha Banks has been announced.

The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) announced today that Banks will be appearing on Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 7 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Banks is being billed by her real name “Mercedes Varnado” on the official C2E2 2022 website. The times she will be appearing are still listed as TBA. Banks will be available for $90 photo ops and $70 autographs at her table.

You can see the Twitter announcement on Banks’ appearance below.

It was noted by PWInsider that Banks has been independently setting up signing appearances for the fall. This C2E2 appearance would be Banks’ first appearance since she and Naomi walked out of a WWE RAW taping in mid-May.

As we’ve noted, Banks and Naomi both recently removed WWE from their Instagram profiles, and Naomi removed WWE from her Twitter bio. WWE recently deleted both of their official Facebook pages, and they were was also removed from the WWE TV intros at one point. Banks’ avatar was also removed from Peacock. It was reported last week that Banks and Naomi were removed from the internal WWE roster, and that the WWE creative team is operating on the assumption that they are not returning whatsoever. One creative source added that they have not heard of any contingency plans or creative prepared in the event that things change to where Banks and Naomi return. There’s also been no update or internal talk on the tournament to crown new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Banks and Naomi are still listed on the WWE website roster as SmackDown Superstars, at least as of this writing. It’s been reported by two sources that Banks’ release was secured in early June, but no other sources have corroborated that news, and WWE has not confirmed the departure either. Banks and Naomi reportedly walked out of RAW at the May 16 show, due to frustration over creative. WWE then stripped them of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles, and announced that the two were suspended indefinitely. It was later revealed that they were suspended without pay. Their merchandise was also pulled for the duration of the suspension.

Please join us in welcoming our next #C2E2 guest, Mercedes Varnado (Sasha Banks)! Whether you’ve seen her in the ring or as Koska Reeves in The Mandalorian, you are not going to want to miss out on this Photo and Autograph opportunity! Buy yours now: https://t.co/i3BeALlo7k pic.twitter.com/UFpdSIEGYP

— C2E2 (@c2e2) July 13, 2022