WWE: Will We See a Dream Match Between Sasha Banks and Trish Stratus?
By Sarah Hirsch
Sasha Banks was the WWE Women’s Division MVP of the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble. The accolades continue to grow for the former Raw Women’s Champion.
That includes an exhilarating week that was capped off with a hellacious bout with Rumble winner Asuka on last Monday’s Raw. With the Women’s Rumble, the match tied the past and present together with moments that got fans thinking “what if”? One moment that stuck out with Banks is the in-ring confrontation with Trish Stratus. For me, the moment had that big time feel, opening up the door for possibilities when it concerns WrestleMania or even beyond that.
If it ever came to fruition, it is a money making dream match. Banks and Stratus’ careers seem to parallel in addition to having a few attributes in common. For example, both women are history makers in their own right. They also have main evented Raw, held Championships multiple times. It is apparent that Banks is in excellent shape, while Stratus hasn’t lost her step. That fact alone would add fuel to the fire. That’s not even bringing up the fact that both women are trendsetters in terms of beauty and style.
Stratus is arguably one of WWE’s greatest female Superstars. Her feud with Lita remains one of the greatest women’s feuds of all time. Stratus also had great feuds with others such as Jazz and Mickie James (in which their standoff at the Rumble came full circle, leaving me in ALL the feels) during her active years with WWE. Stratus currently holds the record for the most Women’s Championship reigns at seven, edging out The Fabulous Moolah, who had six reigns.
In a time where there were bikini contests and Pillow fights at WrestleMania, Stratus found a way to get fans invested in her character as she continued to evolve into the best wrestler she could be. Not a bad resume for someone who started out as a valet in 1999.
With Banks, she was a part of the rising success in NXT having incredible matches with Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Bayley as part of the Four Horsewomen. Her six month reign as NXT Women’s Champion was groundbreaking, giving way to producing one of the greatest women’s matches of all time with Bayley at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn almost three years ago.
The rematch between the two resulted in the first ever Women’s Ironman match at NXT Takeover: Respect. Banks and Flair would rekindle their feud on Raw in 2016, main-eventing Raw and ending a twelve-year drought of women closing the show. Their hot rivalry would main-event Hell in a Cell (inside the cell) and culminated in another Ironman match at Roadblock: End of the Line.
Photo courtesy of wwe.com
2018 looks to be promising for Banks, who looks to have had a change in attitude within the last couple of weeks. Her confidence has grown thanks to her workhorse performance at the Rumble but it was also on display during that match as well. Banks’ confrontation with Stratus proves that she talks the talk, but Banks’ accomplishments mean that she can walk the walk as well.
That moment brings me to the idea of a heel Banks with a face Stratus in a classic face off. The potential build of this dream match would be a tremendous storyline if it was done justice. Bringing the two eras together is worthy of a WrestleMania moment.
Photo courtesy of wwe.com
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The first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match has been announced, with Banks as a part of the match. It is rather doubtful at this point that we could see something come out of the Rumble in terms of Banks and Stratus, at least for right now. With the Rumble’s success thus far, never say never in hopes that fans can see this match take place one day.
The possibilities continue to grow for the Women’s Division, and so does the opportunities for more epic moments. The follow up may not happen now, but WWE should definitely consider the allure of a dream match with Sasha Banks versus Trish Stratus. It’s something that fans could bank on, just like that.