wrestling / Columns

Sasha Banks Returns Just As WWE Womens Division Needed It

August 16, 2019 | Posted by Justin Watry

Image Credit: WWE

Back in April, I wrote a column on the fact that Sasha Banks was going to be taking a bit of a “hiatus” from WWE following WrestleMania 35. A lot was said about her exit at the time. Some true, some false…but the fact is people were talking about her. She was the center of the universe coming out of Mania for those that love the behind the scenes drama of the wrestling business. On screen, it was Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, the upcoming Superstar Shakeup, Batista retiring, and countless other headlines. Once you logged onto Twitter though, it was Sasha Banks. A day after Mania, and it was all about a wrestler not even on television anymore. I concluded that column by saying if she wants to go, then go. However, I hope both sides come to their senses and all this blows over in a few weeks.

Fast forward four months. A day after Summerslam – she’s back.

Exit – While there had been rumors of Sasha Banks returning to WWE imminently, let’s be real. Those rumors had been reported every single months since she initially left. Money in the Bank? Sure, Banks will be back. Superstar Shakeup? Of course she will be involved. Anything with Bayley during her run as Smackdown Live Women’s Champion? Oh yeah, Banks will be there. Nope, nope, and nope. All these reports popped up again Summerslam weekend in Toronto. For her part, Banks did NOT help matters by purposely trying to act like she was at home with different hair colors. Not very subtle there with the misdirection Mrs. Jericho. Hurts the surprise more than helps if you ask me. Either way, Banks did indeed come back Monday night during Raw. I guess if you keep ‘reporting’ something, it will eventually come true.

Silence – Speaking of her posts online, I have to give credit here to Sasha Banks. While all of the departure rumors were tearing her reputation apart, she stayed out of it. A couple of vague posts here and there were fine. I know her husband and friends stuck up for her, but that means nothing. Of course they are going to stand up for her. None of them are going to rip her. They SHOULD defend her, right or wrong. The best part was Banks and all of her cryptic tweets were not so cryptic. They were song lyrics. I didn’t know the song or even know the artist, but I caught onto this a few weeks back. The words were almost at the end, so you knew that song was coming to an end – just like her time away. I liked that because regardless of the circumstances and regardless of the relationship between her and WWE, there was no bridge burned or regretful messages sent.

Return – They say that time makes the heart grow fonder. Basically, what that means is you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. You can’t totally appreciate something until you no longer have it. I have said the same about John Cena for years. His fans and detractors alike had NO IDEA how much he meant to the company. When he was officially out of the picture, it was going to sting, and it has. For Sasha Banks, whether this mini-vacation was planned or not, she needed it. I think the company needed it as did her fans. We all heard the crowd reaction on RAW from Toronto? She isn’t getting that reaction without a few months away. No chance in heck was that anywhere near the response for her on a weekly basis. Even feuding with Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women’s Title was not garnering that much of a reaction. Good or bad. Now her entrance will be that much better, her merchandise will sell that much better, and Sasha Banks fans will love her that much more.

Past – In my column back in April, I echoed the same statement I made about Dean Ambrose. WWE treated her fairly. Heck, they treated her more than fair. She had amazing opportunities and a million chances to shine. Do not think for one second that the company held her back or whatever nonsense some may believe. Many classics in NXT, first ever women’s main event in NXT, reigning NXT Women’s Champion, great promos in NXT, first ever IronWoman Match, memorable feud with Bayley, received a huge spotlight during her Raw debut, Raw main events against Charlotte Flair, big Snoop Dogg entrance at WrestleMania 32, multi-time Raw Women’s Champion, main evented Heck on a Deck, IronWoman match on the main roster, recently the first WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions and obviously a super duper cool return moment taking out both Natalya and Becky Lynch to a thunderous ovation. Make no mistake folks, nobody should feel sorry for The Boss and her career thus far.

Present – That leads us to present day WWE in August 2019. This is something I have harped on multiple times on The 411 Foresight Wrestling Podcast AND in my columns. I have not been shy about the fact that Becky Lynch has gone from a classic rivalry with Charlotte and a WrestleMania main event victory over Ronda FREAKIN’ Rousey all the way down to a story line with Lacey Evans followed up with…Nattie. Good grief. The fact that Natalya started getting boos on Raw was not a shock to me one bit. I called that Edge/Summerslam 2004 moment in the buildup. Fans cared at the actual pay-per-view, but even a hint of a rematch received a giant YAWN! The division needed something big and being honest, Becky Lynch needed something big. That’s why as big as this was for Sasha Banks, it was just as big for the current title holder.

Batman is not very good battling a bunch of random goons every time. He needs The Joker and Bane as his opponents. The Rock wrestling The British Bulldog and giving him a Rock Bottom in a pile of dog crap does not have the same impact as his epic showdowns with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Becky could NOT do another month of painful promos versus Natalya or Lacey Evans. She is due to be the WWE 2K20 video game cover star (along with Roman Reigns). I doubt the designers were day dreaming of her taking on Nattie when the trailer was dropping. They want Becky vs. Rousey, Becky vs. Charlotte, Becky vs. Bayley, or yes, Becky vs. Sasha! Now we are getting it.

Future – Think about what could be showcased at Clash Of Champions. Charlotte vs. Bayley for the Smackdown Live Women’s Title with Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Title. The WWE Four Horsewomen not only took over NXT, they have taken over the main roster as well. You could argue they did years ago, but it now feels like there are no more questions. No Lana dancing to the ring, no Naomi slipping and sliding, no Nattie talking about her family, no Nia Jax boring everyone and no more questions. Bayley and Charlotte are at the top of the blue brand, and the red brand is about to be red hot with the matchup we’ve all been waiting for. I can’t wait to see. Bottom line: Sasha Banks is back and as Michael Cole loves to say, it’s BOSS time!