WWE Royal Rumble 2018: Sasha Banks Deserves To Win
The first ever women’s WWE Royal Rumble match will take place Sunday in Philadelphia at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Here’s why Sasha Banks should win the Rumble.
This Sunday, WWE will hold their first ever women’s Royal Rumble match at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view in Philadelphia. The match is critical for historical reasons, but also because it sets the tone for the Women’s Division in upcoming weeks.
The match, the outcome, and the viewership will decide how women will play a part in future pay-per-views, the percentage of television time they will see weekly, and could make room for more female talent on Raw, SmackDown, and NXT rosters.
WWE’s anniversary episode of Raw, Raw 25, failed to live up to their goal of leveling the playing field for women in wrestling. They also failed to properly hype up the upcoming match at Royal Rumble. Their next move will be detrimental to their fans and how female competition are viewed.
The upcoming match could have a slew of different outcomes. A newcomer could blaze a trail right to the top. A top contender could solidify her name in the history books. An outsider could scramble the division entirely, and walk out a success.
If WWE wishes to keep on the road of equality for women, the best way to do so, would be to give the wins and titles to the talented. Leave the cliché story lines behind, and create an atmosphere were the women who pave the paths are the ones who win.
No one paves more paths than Sasha Banks.
Credit: WWE.com
Banks has held the Raw Women’s Championship a record-setting four times. Her Iron Man match against Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Respect in Oct. 2015 was the first women’s match to ever headline a major WWE event, the longest women’s match in history at 30 minutes, and the first ever women’s Iron Man match.
The former NXT Champion and Charlotte Flair were the first women to headline a WWE pay-per-view, and the first to compete in a Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in Oct. 2016. It made both the first women to main event Raw in a women’s match since 2004, and the first women to win the Pro Wrestling Illustrated award for “Feud of the Year”.
Her match against Alexa Bliss at Abu Dhabi was the first women’s match in that area, and was even given a nod when Stephanie McMahon announced the Royal Rumble match, last year.
Credit: WWE.com
She even won the only women’s match at Raw 25 for her team with her infamous Bank Statement finisher, which some say could be a sign of what’s to come. She accomplished all of this before she turned 26, today.
It’s clear with all the opportunities that Banks is given, WWE leans on her and her abilities as a statement of trust in her talent, strength, and dominance in her division. So, why has WWE kept her title reigns short and not-so-sweet?
It could be that WWE may be trying to visit new ideas and explore new avenues. Since the arrival of Asuka’s dominance and Absolution’s chaos, Banks and Bayley have taken a backseat to the action at Raw. With talent like their’s, however, they should be in the driver’s seat.
It’s reasonable to believe that Banks could beat the best in the match. She’s defeated the likes of Brie Bella, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Mickie James, Emma, and even Nia Jax. Although Asuka has remained undefeated, Banks is one of few that could hold her own against the Empress of Tomorrow.
Banks has yet to hold an impressive and volatile feud since her feud with Charlotte has ended, and perhaps it’s time to rekindle her disdain for Bliss, the current Raw title holder, who the winner of the Royal Rumble would face at WrestleMania.
Asuka made her intentions known on Raw 25, after she took out her own teammates, making the statement once again that “No one is ready for Asuka.” Perhaps WWE’s favorite babyface could be what finally turns Asuka into the heel we’ve all been dying to see.
Banks and Bayley are only half of the Four Hoursewomen, with Charlotte and Becky Lynch at SmackDown. Charlotte is currently holding the women’s title, and Becky is picked as a top favorite for the Royal Rumble match. All four women have proven themselves a great spokesperson and role model; something WWE holds dear.
The influence Banks has had on the industry, women competition, and female fans around the globe is documented and noticeable. Her attitude, talent, intelligence, kindness and moral code is the very same as the foundation WWE stands on. For WWE to be able to continue to break barriers, they need to appropriately recognize the ones who do that for them.
Next: Ranking Every Royal Rumble Winner
Tune in Sunday for the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view, with the pre-show starting at 7 p.m. EST, and the main show following directly after at 8 p.m. EST. Keep your eyes glued on the women’s division.