WWE: 5 current wrestlers deserving of a “Biography” episode
2) Sasha Banks
When we talk about mainstream appeal and overlap, no one on this list may fit that better than Banks.
It’s not just because of her familial relationship with Snoop Dogg; that’s seemingly had the least effect on her career. If anything, it really just seems like it’s been used as a cool trivia answer and occasional performance on WWE programming by Snoop Dogg.
Banks’ career in WWE is an interesting one. She signed and came up through NXT, though the Banks from then was far from what she would become.
She had to contend with the fans at Full Sail University, where NXT was taped, calling her “ratchet” and, objectively, pulling for those around her that became known as the “Four Horsewomen” alongside her in Flair, Lynch, and Bayley.
The problematics of an overwhelmingly White crowd constantly chanting “ratchet” at a Black woman is for another article (and they’ve been written), but also a discussion that should be had on a documentary.
I say should since WWE is usually loathing to touch on racial issues unless it ends with them achieving a veneer of positivity.
She became one of NXT’s best acts, and her rivalry with Bayley was as good as they come. Their ironwoman match is still my favorite NXT match.
Her accolades continued when she hit the “main roster.” Though all but her most recent reign as Women’s Champion ended with her failure to defend the title, she a multi-time Champion.
She was also the first Women’s Tag Team Champion (in this iteration) with Bayley. She’s a women’s Grand Slam Champion, having won the NXT, Raw, and Smackdown Women’s Championships as well as the Women’s Tag Team Championship.
Banks and Flair were the first women to main event a WWE pay-per-view and compete in Hell in a Cell, both happening at the titular event.
Of course, Banks and Bianca Belair were the first Black women to main event WrestleMania, accomplishing the feat on Night One earlier this year (a match I rated very highly).
There’s an added wrinkle in that Banks, under her real name of Mercedes Varnado, debuted on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian of the Star Wars universe.
Of course, if Snoop Dogg participates, his added star power could add further eyeballs to the documentary. He could discuss their relationship and how he views her success from afar and close.
A scenario that could be explored, depending on how the future plays out, is if Banks goes the route of The Rock and John Cena, or if she stays within the world of professional wrestling.
Regardless, and maybe even more if she does head the Hollywood route, the Banks story would be an engaging and informative ride.