Sasha Banks’s top five moments in WWE

Sasha Banks is officially no more.

With her first appearance in NJPW, she is now Mercedes Mone. She made a statement by taking down IWGP Women’s Champion, KAIRI. She challenged the champion for her title next month at “Battle in the Valley” in San Jose.

In her first press conference in NJPW, Mone said she also has her sights on AZM and Miyu Yamashita (who wrestles for TJPW).

Prior to her Wrestle Kingdom debut, Mone tweeted several thank yous. She started by thanking WWE and ended by thanking Sasha Banks. In WWE, she was a multi-time champion. She held the RAW Women’s Championship five times, the SmackDown Women’s Championship once, and the tag team titles three times. She’s also a former NXT Women’s Champion. Holding multiple titles has made her a Triple Crown champion and a Grand Slam champion.

https://twitter.com/MercedesVarnado/status/1610431964833804288?s=20&t=_OMNXYhwuy1LG2Mq1IIPkA

There are so many moments to choose from like her Royal Rumble moment with Trish Stratus and forming the Two-Woman Power Trip with Bayley during the pandemic era.

Here are Sasha Banks’s top five moments in WWE:

5) Sasha Banks wins the tag team title with Naomi

At WrestleMania 38, Sasha and Naomi defeated tag team champions, Carmella and Queen Zelina, Natalya and Shayna Baszler, and Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley. It was one of the top moments of WrestleMania weekend. The two long-time friends and former B.A.D. members finally won gold together.

This would be the beginning of the end. WWE has always poorly booked the women’s tag team titles since Bayley and Banks became the inaugural champions. Nothing changed with this title reign. Bad creative would prompt the champions to leave their titles on the desk of John Laurinaitis and walk out of the company. WWE took the petty road and made them out to be ungrateful villains on TV and in the press with PR statements through E! News (which even made light of Banks needing to take time off for her mental health in the past). Banks was released last summer.

This move has led Banks down the path to becoming Mercedes Mone and taking dates with two of the biggest companies in Japan.

4) Banks vs. Charlotte  Flair in Hell in a Cell

In 2016, Banks made Flair tap to win her first title. Unfortunately, she only had the title for 27 days before dropping it back to Flair. It eventually led to Banks challenging the champion in a Hell in a Cell match.

This would be the first time women had ever competed in Satan’s Structure. The match also main evented the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, another first. There was an unforgiving table spot that still stands out from the match. Flair bested Banks once again, ending her reign at 27 days again.

Banks would again have a Hell in a Cell match against Bayley.

3). Banks vs. Bayley Iron Man Match

Bayley has been Banks’ biggest rival and her partner in crime. These two have feuded since their NXT days and were also the Boss-n-Hug Connection.

The Iron Man Match for the NXT Women’s Championship was the follow-up to their historic NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn match. It had a 30-minute time limit and was the main event of NXT TakeOver: Respect. “Hugger” Bayley was the champion. Banks was arguably at her best as a heel in this match. A spot with Bayley Superfan, Izzy, solidified this.

Banks and Bayley told an incredible story with Bayley ultimately retaining her title. Banks would be called up to the main roster and this was her final match in NXT.

2) Banks vs. Bayley NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn

For many, this would be Number 1. It is arguably the best women’s match in WWE history. Bayley was the beloved babyface with Banks in the role of the dastardly heel. This match saw both women at their absolute best.

Their were high-flying moments and many near falls that took the fans on a journey. Bayley ultimately ended the title reign of “The Legit Boss” after 192 days. It was already a special moment that was taken to another level when Flair and Becky Lynch would celebrate with them. The Four Horsewomen were interegal to women’s wrestling in WWE.

1) Banks and Belair become the first Black Women to headline WrestleMania

At WrestleMania 37, Banks would go on to make history once again. She and Bianca Belair became the first Black women in WWE history to main event a match as the first pair of women to do so in a singles match.

Belair won the 2021 Royal Rumble and would choose to face Banks for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Before their big match, the pair were made to coexist in several tag team matches.

The two had a fantastic match that lived up to the hype. Belair would ultimately best Banks and beat her with the K.O.D.

In her time with WWE, Banks made history time and time again. She held gold (although, multiple reigns were too short) and was one of the biggest and brightest stars. It’s absurd for anyone to think that she’s past her peak, especially when she’s on the cusp of so many things. Like she said in the Tokyo Dome, she is the “standard. The conversation. The blueprint.”