Sasha Banks Has Changed The Game, But Will WWE Let Her Define It?

There’s a good chance your favorite woman in WWE had her best match against Sasha Banks. That isn’t a coincidence. Few performers in wrestling put their heart and soul into this art quite like Banks, whose life-or-death selling and attention to detail have helped change women’s wrestling in WWE forever. But whenever she’s left off of a big Pay Per View or isn’t marketed appropriately on a PPV graphic, I can’t help but wonder if WWE is missing out on a chance to highlight an era-defining superstar.

Seth Rollins once described Sasha Banks as a “hell of an athlete and one of the best women’s wrestlers of all-time” before correcting himself by adding, “best wrestlers of all-time, really, don’t even have to put women in front of it.”

Beyond the fact that this is a ringing endorsement from a wrestler who is almost unanimously viewed WWE’s MVP in 2018, there’s a larger importance to this quote in the context of women’s wrestling.

When most mainstream wrestling sites put together a “Mt. Rushmore” of wrestling, they generally pick superstars who defined a specific era of wrestling. So they’ll pick guys like Ric Flair, Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Sting, John Cena, Randy Savage etc.

Rarely will you see a wrestling writer (or even fan) select a woman to be one of the four wrestlers who best represents their version of people who defined greatness in this sport. It’s a hurdle we still have to get past as wrestling fans, because even as we honor the likes of Trish Stratus, Beth Phoenix, and non-WWE competitors like Akira Hokuto, we still have a long way to go in bridging this gap.

“She remembered who she was and the game changed.”

That Lalah Delia quote remains emblazoned on Sasha Banks’s Twitter bio, and I remember the frenzy that started when she added this to her bio. Everyone sat there and claimed how it was foreshadowing a “heel turn”, completely ignoring the fact that it may have just been a source of inspiration for Banks.

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Because she did change the game for women’s wrestling in a profound way.

On August 22, 2015, Sasha Banks and Bayley put on one of the most important matches in wrestling history. And they weren’t even the main event.

See, Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens was the main event of that show, but nobody remembers that. Balor and Owens had three more minutes, a ladder stipulation, and the cache of previously being two of the biggest names in wrestling outside WWE before joining NXT. Yet their great-in-its-own-right battle for the NXT Championship couldn’t hold a candle to Banks vs. Bayley, which easily won “Match of the Year” in NXT’s awards vote.

NXT Brooklyn was such a pivotal moment in women’s wrestling in WWE that it was featured extensively in WWE 24’s “Women’s Evolution” documentary. The groundwork laid by so many women helped lead to the new Women’s Title and Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair Triple Threat at WrestleMania 32, but it often seems like NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn was the emotional moment that served as a catalyst.

All of the tears that flowed after that match and the equally riveting NXT TakeOver: Respect main event between Sasha and Bayley were huge factors in WWE’s brass seeing the value of women’s wrestling as a sport.

Banks had a catalogue of great matches in NXT, beyond just her bouts against Bayley. Becky Lynch’s star-making performance against her at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable may have been even better just from a technical standpoint. Undoubtedly, Sasha’s main roster rivalry with Charlotte is one of the most iconic in this era of WWE, but their matches together in NXT were just as good.

In The Ring, She Has A Chip On Her Shoulder

I hope I don’t have to sell you on Banks’s credentials as an in-ring competitor, because that should be quite clear. Anyone ranting about “botches” honestly doesn’t know wrestling at a deep enough level to understand that “botches” are overrated. It’d be like saying Brett Favre isn’t great because he throws too many interceptions.

Furthermore, it’s quite arrogant to presume that you can differentiate a botch from something planned, because this oft-criticized Banks move was likely a stroke of (frightening) genius. Watch how she curls her legs upwards to hit the ropes in perfect position for Asuka. And if you think that was a botch, then why the hell did Asuka go for the kick so early?

If you cringed at the GIF linked above, then I don’t blame you. Because even as I appreciate the athleticism and sheer creativity that this move takes, it does scare me. Banks never holds back, and if you understand her background as the quiet girl who stayed up to watch Eddie Guerrero on SmackDown before doing everything she could to be a star in this business, then you understand why she goes all-out in this way.

Much like Daniel Bryan or Eddie or any of the great wrestlers, Sasha has a chip on her shoulder that drives her to go the extra mile to stand out. To me, that is just as admirable as her chemistry with the other women in the locker room, her brawling, or her throwback heel promos.

Patience Only Goes So Far

As WWE fans, we’ve been conditioned to “be patient” when a superstar isn’t at the center of attention, because our understanding is that their time will come. It’s a sensible way to look at the roster, as not everyone can be a champion or be in a top program.

The issue is that it seems so much more difficult for women’s wrestlers to get these meaningful opportunities. Even as WWE produces documentaries about women’s wrestling, creates an all-women’s PPV, or finally lets Sasha and Charlotte fight it out inside a cell or in an Ironman match, the ingrained treatment of women’s wrestling as second-tier remains.

It’s why Raw, despite being three hours, is filled with short women’s tag matches or segments that hold back the women. They, including Sasha, do their best by outshining many of the men in a fraction of the time, but this is the reason why I always stick up for wrestling fans who lament that their favorite woman isn’t on television enough. Because they’re honestly right.

The whole “be patient” outlook on a wrestler is a great way to curb frustration, but, at the same time, it is a statement that would defy logic in pretty much any other sport. Could you imagine if the Seattle Seahawks said, “Russell Wilson? Eh, his time will come. We’re rolling with Matt Flynn this year.”

Wrestling is different from football in the sense that your competition is putting on the best show – not necessarily beating anyone else in head-to-head competition. (At least, that’s the situation WWE finds itself in right now.)

At the same time, if you want to put together the most compelling show, shouldn’t you make the most out of your wrestlers? The whole “be patient” mantra is a fine one to adhere to, but it shouldn’t be taken to an extreme. Athletes do not have endless shelf-lives, because for every wrestler who has remained an elite performer into their 40s, I can name someone who had their career cut short due to injuries or health issues.

WWE has so many examples of Sasha working at an elite level that few others (as Rollins noted, both men and women) can touch. Her matches against Charlotte, Sasha, Bayley, Asuka, and Becky are among the greatest of this era, and she was the standout in the Elimination Chamber, Royal Rumble, and Money in the Bank matches this year. Questioning her promo work? Ever heard of “The Legit Boss”? Or watched the emotionally gut-wrenching, line-of-the-year candidate below?

Greatness Recognizes Greatness

Kairi Sane, Trish Stratus, Steve Austin, and Shawn Michaels are among the many great wrestlers who have praised Sasha, with Michaels even telling Banks that she is his favorite wrestler. Like, let that sink in. And then remind me why Banks didn’t get on the first Evolution poster (or a match with Stratus, who praised her after their Royal Rumble stand-off).

Banks’s popularity among the fans is well-known. She has been the most-searched of the Four Horsewomen of WWE over the past year, her theme song has 20 million views on YouTube, and her great matches are also among the most-viewed on YouTube.

WWE Knows How Good She Is…

WWE understands how good Banks is. She’s on television essentially as often as the likes of Rollins and Braun Strowman, who are positioned as two of Raw’s top stars. Banks was trusted enough to last longer than anyone else in the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble, and there are plenty of examples of WWE recognizing her talent.

…But They Don’t Really Show It

The problem is that it’s almost exploitative. Women’s wrestlers receive a fraction of the base earnings of their male counterparts, so while Sasha works as frequently as Strowman, Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Roman Reigns, she makes less for putting her body on the line. She doesn’t even get the benefit of being featured in the big events, which presumably confer financial bonuses.

Banks hasn’t been on a Pay Per View since Money in the Bank, and she hasn’t received a singles match on Pay Per View since SummerSlam 2017. WWE teased matches against Bayley for WrestleMania and SummerSlam, but in between those two shows, she only participated in the first Women’s WrestleMania Battle Royal on the card’s pre-show.

To compare, Rollins, who both praised Banks as one of the greatest ever and has about the same number of total matches this year, hasn’t missed a single PPV. The same goes for Strowman. Balor’s only missed Pay Per View appearances were Backlash and WrestleMania, but he has more Raw main events, including a Universal Title shot against Reigns, under his belt.

Framing Her Position Correctly

Sasha Banks isn’t “forgotten” or “underpushed” or “disrespected”. That’s far from the argument here, and any discussion of that nature is both juvenile and frivolous.

At 26, Sasha has accomplished more than most professional wrestlers could ever hope to accomplish. She’s fought inside Hell in a Cell, main evented an NXT TakeOver, went toe-to-toe with Asuka, earned enormous plaudits from Michaels and Austin, and was the Ironwoman of a Royal Rumble match.

It’s the disconnect that gets me. The disconnect between the woman who generates huge social media interest, kills it in every single big opportunity she gets, and receives effusive praise from the most successful people in this industry and the woman who can’t get on Pay Per Views and isn’t on posters celebrating the accomplishments of the Women’s Evolution she helped catalyze.

Representation Matters

Again, at just 26 years of age, Sasha has already established herself as one of the most respected wrestlers in this industry. She is a symbol of black excellence, female empowerment, and the idea that you can accomplish your dreams if you work your ass of for them. This is the kind of inspiring person who can be at the forefront of a company, but it seems as if WWE is more interested in creating a “quota” of women’s matches on Pay Per Views or ignoring the fact that their audience is diverse and wants to see more women of color represented on PPV graphics or partaking in important shows.

Banks has already changed the landscape of women’s wrestling in WWE with her matches, charisma, and ability to connect with her diehard fanbase (a fanbase of all genders, races, economic backgrounds, and orientations). WWE has acknowledged that much.

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But if they really want to create an era-defining superstar who can be a role model to so many people just begging for someone who more closely represents them, then they need to capitalize more on marketing a bad-ass 26-year-old who dives like every match is her last.

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Sasha Banks Has Changed The Game, But Will WWE Let Her Define An Era?

By Kevin Parvizi | Sep 7, 2018