Sasha Banks as ‘The Legit Boss’ would reach Becky Lynch’s star power

Sasha Banks needs to tap into that same swagger that helped Becky Lynch become “The Man”, if the “Legit Boss” is going to reign on WWE Raw.

It goes without saying that Becky Lynch is the biggest star in the WWE. There was a time when the 31-year old, Ireland native was the least-talked-about member of the Four Horsewomen. And at that moment, Sasha Banks was referenced in the opposite stance – many expected her to quickly and naturally elevate to the top of the pecking order.

Fast forward to 2018 and the inverse has occurred; Lynch is featured in the most important storyline in the promotion, while Banks struggles to find any television time with meaning. Unfortunately, there’s evidence that if given the opportunity, Banks could become as big a star as Lynch in today’s wrestling atmosphere.

The Legit Boss Begins In NXT

To start this conversation, we will need to rewind time back to when Banks was at the best point in her career as a character. Like many of the newest members of the main roster, this time came when Banks was a part of the NXT roster. Mercedes Kaestner-Varnado would join NXT and soon take a heel turn that would lead to the introduction of her moniker “The Boss.”

From that point in 2014 through the rest of 2015, Banks would go on a run that solidified her as a fan favorite, regardless of the heel tactics she employed that followed her onto the main roster. But it’s clear that her run on the main roster has left a lot to the imagination.

Missed Opportunities On The Main Roster

Now she’s lumped into near pointless segments and storylines that do not have any implications of forward-thinking by WWE Creative. She’s been open with her frustrations on the main roster. In two years on the main roster, Banks has been a four-time WWE Raw Women’s Champion…for a combined total of 82 days. To make that situation even worse, she’s never successfully defended the title – an issue that led her to question her abilities.

"“I’ll be honest about something. I’m a three-time RAW Women’s Champion, right, which is awesome. Within a whole year, I’m a three-time Women’s Champion, which, to me, is a lot,” Banks said during a 2017 interview on the Sam Roberts show. “I am a three-time two-week holder of a championship, so that took away my confidence so much. I don’t know if it was something with me or they just want to keep on flipping flopping, I don’t know!”"

The Man Takes WWE By Storm

Let’s turn the focus on to Lynch. She’s enjoying her second reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion. She was the first woman to win the title in September of 2016 and nearly two years would pass before she would lay her hands on the belt again, winning it from Charlotte Flair at Hell in a Cell this past September.

Between those two years, she was frequently overlooked in favor of talent like Flair, Alexa Bliss and Carmella; women who fit a mold that the WWE frequently pushes to the top. In many ways, she was used in the same fashion that Banks is used today.

Then June 2018 came around, and Lynch went on a run that led to the point that she has reached today. Even as WWE Creative attempted to get the fans to boo her, they turned on that idea, cheering her more and more with every appearance. The organic nature of this rise was fueled by both Lynch (through such channels as her social media outlets) and the fans that wanted to see something better for their red-headed, Lass Kicker.

Sasha Banks Has The Skills

Banks can experience that same type of resurgence if placed in the right situation. We all know that she can perform in the ring. She is widely regarded as one of the best workers on the roster today. Her character comes off very naturally, like it’s her own personality with the “volume turned up to 11,” as Chris Jericho once said.

There are a variety of examples throughout Banks tenure in the WWE that point to her ability to get over with the crowd.

For example, her match against Bayley at NXT TakeOver Respect is widely considered one of the best WWE women’s matches – if not the best – of all time. Their abilities and their story were put on center stage for 30 minutes in a match that resulted in a 4.25 star rating from Dave Meltzer. Banks’s delivery as Bayley’s egotistical foil not only helped solidify Banks as she prepared to move to the main roster, but it helped Bayley’s growth as the main draw in the NXT women’s division from that point forward.

Then there are her initial rivalries with Charlotte on the main roster. The image of her forcing Charlotte to take with the Banks Statement in the crowd during their Falls Count Anywhere match on November 26 is still one of the most memorable images of that year. Seeing her hold the title with Ric Flair in the ring was an emotional moment for those there and watching on TV.

And you can’t ignore the dejection that fans showed every time WWE Creative made the switch to take the title off of Banks after each of those short runs. She resonates with the fans and that is something that leadership within the WWE can no longer ignore. Her peers recognize her status as one of the best in the business. Seth Rollins and Ronda Rousey have both spoken highly of her, and Rousey even presented the idea that she’s not ready to step into the ring with the “Legit Boss.”

Setting Up Banks’s Run To The Top Of Raw

But for this transformation to work, it needs to be organic, which is something WWE Creative has struggled to do in recent months – if not longer. The turn from the smiling and hugging Banks, back into the “Legit Boss,” can’t be forced and to do that the pathway should go through Bayley and the women’s tag team titles.

Imagine a storyline where WWE introduces the tag belts for the women’s division with a tournament that culminates at WrestleMania 35. It would be there that Banks would turn on Bayley in the finals, declaring that she’s tired of carrying her partner and the rest of the Raw women’s division. From there she could go on a run as a heel-ish character that she’s presented in the past and if she can rekindle the iteration that was prevalent on NXT, then she could easily become the best heel on the Monday night show.

With one of the largest followings across social media, and the ability to cross over in ways that many of her peers can’t; Sasha Banks has the cache that could make her into a mainstream star for the WWE. Even though the brand continues to misuse her talents week in and week out, she could become as large of a figure as Becky Lynch has in recent months. It’s clear that the WWE needs all the main event characters it can get, so it’s time they took the steps to reinstate the “Legit Boss.”