Ronda Rousey: ‘I would really love to wrestle Sasha Banks’
The current WWE Raw Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey’s next match will be a champion vs. champion match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch at Survivor Series, and she’ll defend her title against Nia Jax shortly after. However, Rousey has one more opponent she’d like to face, and that’s none other than “The Legit Boss” herself, Sasha Banks.
Back in June following Ronda Rousey’s sensational performance at the Money in the Bank Pay Per View, Sasha Banks was full of praise for the former UFC Women’s Champion.
Banks spoke glowingly about how Rousey has adjusted to WWE and called herself a “big fan” of Rousey’s work after stating that the “rookie” proved she belongs in pro wrestling.
The respect between Rousey and Banks is clearly mutual. In an interview with the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Presents podcast, Rousey stated that she would “love” to face Banks at some point int the future. [Hat tip to WrestleZone’s Michael McClead for the transcription.]
"I would really love to wrestle Sasha Banks. I’ve been so impressed watching her work and seeing her from the back and watching her work. I was already a fan of her from before. I think we’d be able to make something great together. I think she’s given a lot of women their best matches ever, but I almost feel like I’m not at the right level yet for her. I think we could make something really special or something great, but I don’t know if I’m at the level that’s ready for that yet….in a perfect world, I would definitely love that, for sure."
Banks has been the most acclaimed women’s wrestler in WWE for a few years, as her NXT TakeOver matches against Bayley stand the test of time as two of the best and most important matches in WWE history. Any discussion of the women’s revolution (and now women’s evolution) mentions these matches, which showcased Banks’s technical ability and character work as “The Legit Boss”.
On the main roster, Banks is a four-time Raw Women’s Champion, and while she’s never had a lengthy title reign, she’s had some defining performances as a crucial member of the Raw roster.
She was in the first women’s Hell in a Cell match, main roster Ironwoman match, and women’s Elimination Chamber match. This year, she spent the most time of any woman in the first Women’s Royal Rumble and had a standout match one night later against the Rumble winner, Asuka.
It’s no surprise that Rousey wants to face one of the best in this business, as Banks’s technical wrestling ability, determination, and selling are undoubtedly huge strengths. These two could put together a brilliant match that could allow a mainstream audience, given Rousey’s apparent drawing power, to see more of what women’s wrestling is about in 2018.
It’s also interesting that Rousey isn’t sure she’s at a level where she would be able to produce her best possible match with Banks, which is a testament to just how highly Rousey thinks of Sasha. This is also an indication that if they do have a match, it would be well into the future, perhaps adding to its stakes.
Next. Where In The World Has Shinsuke Nakamura Been?. dark
As Rousey continues to pick up wins and accolades, fans will keep talking about who should be the first to beat her. Charlotte Flair already broke Asuka’s streak, so perhaps someone like Banks could rise to the occasion against Rousey. The fact that Rousey has such high respect for Banks certainly doesn’t hurt her case.