The call of letting Becky Lynch squash Bianca Belair for the SmackDown women’s championship during her SummerSlam return has been one of the most controversial booking decisions from WWE officials this year.
The EST of WWE recently had an interview with Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat. Among other things, she opened up about the disappointing SummerSlam loss.
Bianca admitted that losing to Lynch in 26 seconds was a hard blow. She mentioned how the day was very chaotic and she felt like the title was snatched away from her very quickly. Though she also credited her husband for keeping her intact:
“SummerSlam, that was a day. That whole day was so chaotic. Everything was so last minute. This one sitting beside me here [Montez Ford] really kept me intact and constantly checked my perspective.
I was champion, and then to lose my title to Becky Lynch in 26 seconds,” said Bianca Belair, “It’s a hard blow, especially because I feel like I was just getting started and it got snatched away so quickly.”
The former women’s champion also discussed the aftermath of the show. She mentioned how she doesn’t usually look at people’s reactions online. However, her mother encouraged her to look at the comments supporting her after her loss.
Despite the unpleasant experience, Bianca Belair is keeping a positive outlook. She said that nobody can stop her from getting what’s for her and she will eventually get back to the top of the mountain.
Pro Wrestling Illustrated has named Bianca Belair as the top women’s pro wrestler in the world. The EST has secured the top spot on the PWI Women’s Top 150 list.
Women’s wrestling has grown even more popular this year, so PWI expanded the annual Top 100 list to 150.
This PWI Top 150 was assembled with input from experts in the field. Several factors were used as ranking criteria, including wins & losses, quality of competition and cultural impact.
The evaluation period ran from October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.
PWI Women’s Top 150
With Bianca Belair in the top spot, Utami Hayashishita (Stardom), Deonna Purrazzo (Impact), Britt Baker (AEW), and Thunder Rosa (AEW) round out the top five.
Here’s a look at the Top 10 list:
Bianca Belair (WWE)
Utami Hayashishita (Stardom)
Deonna Purrazzo (Impact)
Britt Baker (AEW)
Thunder Rosa (AEW)
Sasha Banks (WWE)
Syuri (Stardom)
Io Shirai (NXT)
Tam Nakano (Stardom)
Raquel Gonzalez (NXT)
SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay is here to break down the list:
Previous Winners
PWI has been ranking the world’s top women’s wrestlers for over a decade. Here’s a look back at previous winners:
2008: Awesome Kong
2009: Mickie James
2010: Michelle McCool
2011: Madison Eagles
2012: Gail Kim
2013: Cheerleader Melissa
2014: Paige
2015: Nikki Bella
2016: Charlotte
2017: Asuka
2018: Ronda Rousey
2019: Becky Lynch
2020: Bayley
PWI’s Top 10 Women’s Wrestlers for 2020
Bianca Belair was not ranked in the top 10 last year, which makes her achievement even more impressive.
Carmella believes that fans cannot have their cake and eat it too when it comes to the SummerSlam return of the SmackDown women’s champion Becky Lynch.
The former champion recently appeared on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast. During the interview, she discussed how fans have started turning on The Man after what happened at SummerSlam despite rooting for her return for so long.
Carmella responded to the fans saying that they cannot have everything. She then also gave her prediction for the upcoming Crown Jewel triple threat match for the SmackDown women’s title:
“It’s insane. That’s Twitter for you. ‘We want Becky, we want Becky,’ now we have her, ‘Ah, we didn’t want her like that.’ Sorry, you can’t have your cake and eat it too, but that is wrestling Twitter. I’m excited for that match, those girls are going to tear it down, and I kinda want to see Bianca walk out as champion.”
The female star also discussed how her own presence at SummerSlam was crucial because Lynch wouldn’t have gotten the big reaction if Carmella hadn’t come out first.
Bianca Belair was supposed to defend her title against Sasha Banks at SummerSlam. Though Banks couldn’t make it to the show and instead, Becky Lynch made her return only to squash Belair for the title.
Lynch will now be defending her title in a triple threat match against Bianca and Sasha Banks at Crown Jewel. You can check out the betting odds for the show here.
Becky Lynch is justifying WWE’s decision to have her defeat Bianca Belair in a matter of seconds.
Becky made her surprise return at the Summerslam PPV back in August. Belair was expected to put her SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Sasha Banks. When Sasha was a no-go, Carmella stepped up, but Becky got her out the way quickly.
Belair was then challenged by Becky Lynch to put her title on the line at that moment. Belair accepted and was nailed with a cheap shot from Becky, who scored the pin in under 30 seconds.
WWE was under heavy criticism for the finish. Many believe it did Bianca Belair no favors to lose in that fashion on such a big stage. Many also criticized the decision to turn Becky heel, a move that was reportedly her idea.
Appearing on the FOX Sports’ Out of Character podcast, Becky told Ryan Satin that it was the right move to make.
“I know a lot of people were upset [about the squash]. Well, if we had a long match and then I beat her, then I just beat her. That’s not good for her. But if she’s robbed and she doesn’t expect it, then we want to see her succeed. I think we’re doing just fine.”
Becky will be defending the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Belair and Sasha Banks on Oct. 21. The title match will be featured on the WWE Crown Jewel show in Saudi Arabia.
After the Crown Jewel event, Becky and Belair will be members of the Monday Night Raw brand. Banks will remain on SmackDown.
The NXT 2.0 revamp has divided the opinion of fans with the majority considering it a wrong move. Though Bianca Belair seems excited about the changes and the result they might bring.
The former SmackDown women’s champion recently had an interview with Hindustan Times. She discussed things such as her move to Raw during WWE Draft and more.
When asked for her thoughts on the rebranding of WWE’s development territory, Belair claimed that she is all about it. She mentioned how she is a home-grown talent:
“I am all about NXT because that was where I learned everything. I am a homegrown NXT talent. NXT is amazing – they know how to create superstars. They became the third brand at one point. They are now revamping. They know how to build superstars”
Bianca Belair then listed a number of stars that have come from NXT including people such as Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley. She said that it’s fun to see new faces:
“It’s just fun to see new faces and new talent. We have so much talent in the locker room. Even in NXT – who are waiting to show their talent. I know what they can do. I am just waiting for the world to see what they can do.”
Apart from this, Belair also revealed which stars she would like to include in her faction. You can check out her comments on the matter at this link.
WWE Crown Jewel will play host to a big women’s title match.
The promotion announced that a triple threat match between Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, and Sasha Banks will take place at the event on Oct. 21. Lynch is the reigning WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion and her gold will be at stake.
“Three of the best in the game will vie for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WWE Crown Jewel when Becky Lynch defends her title against both Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks in a Triple Threat Match.”
Lynch vs Banks vs. Belair
Becky Lynch made her surprise return at SummerSlam back in August. She challenged Belair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Belair was initially set to meet Sasha Banks but “The Boss” was removed from the card. Bianca Belair accepted Becky’s challenge, only to get hit with a cheap shot and lose her gold in under 30 seconds.
Becky and Bianca ended up having a rematch at Extreme Rules. The match ended in a No Contest as Banks made her return and attacked both competitors. It all leads to the triple threat title match at Crown Jewel.
WWE Crown Jewel 2021 Matches
Here’s the current card for the upcoming Crown Jewel event:
Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair
Stick with SEScoops as we’ll be providing coverage of Crown Jewel.
Bianca Belair was originally scheduled to face Sasha Banks at the SummerSlam PPV. She didn’t find out that her opponent had been changed to Becky Lynch until the last minute. The former SmackDown women’s champion recently had an interview with Inside The Ropes. She talked about her SummerSlam experience among other things.
Revealing when she was told about the change of plans, Belair said that she practically found out about it when she had already entered the ring for the bout:
“It was pretty much very, very, very, very, very last minute. Pretty much when I was in the ring up – until the time that I went out [to the ring].” said Bianca Belair, “Very late call, very late moment, Everything, all the emotions that you saw in my face during the match at SummerSlam, were real emotions,”
WWE knew that Sasha Banks will not be able to compete at the SummerSlam PPV 8 days before the show but they didn’t officially call off the match until the day of the event. Bianca Belair wasn’t the only performer who wasn’t told about the changed plans until very late either. Becky Lynch also found out that she will be competing at the PPV only a day before the show.
WWE superstar Bianca Belair has shared her thoughts on losing the Smackdown Women’s Championship to Becky Lynch.
Belair spoke with Tennessee sports radio station WNML’s Vince Ferrara to promote Friday Night Smackdown in Knoxville, Tennessee. In the interview, Belair shared how she got into the WWE and her journey to becoming the Smackdown Women’s Champion.
Ferrara also asked Belair what WWE fans should expect when she faces Lynch at Extreme Rules on September 26th. She responded by saying that she still feels hurt losing the championship but is looking forward to the rematch.
” …I’m still very hurt by how I did lose the title at Summerslam. I was excited to get in the ring with Becky. I wasn’t expecting this title match, and it happened so quickly. So right now, I’m just trying to regain what I lost as quickly a possible,” said Belair.
Becky Lynch Controversial Win at Summerslam
Lynch defeated Belair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship at Summerslam on August 22nd at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The title match received criticism from WWE fans and ex WWE superstars like Nikki Bella.
During a post-Summerslam event, Bella voiced her frustration on Bianca’s championship loss. “…You have someone like Bianca, who is such an incredible talent, and you can’t help but get frustrated when you see moments like that of like, a championship that meant so much and was lost within seconds,” said Bella.
Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch at Extreme Rules
Since the loss, Belair has been trying to get a rematch with Lynch. She had to win a fatal four-way elimination match on the August 27th episode of Smackdown to challenge Lynch at Extreme Rules.
In the interview with Ferrara, she shared that she expects a different result when they have their rematch. “…Becky, she’s been ducking and dodging me. I finally got her to sign the contract last week for my rematch so that we can finally go toe to toe. I know that if we really go toe to toe, in a long match, the outcome is going to be different,” said Belair. She will look to become the Smackdown Women’s Champion for a second time at Extreme Rules.
The first match has been announced for the upcoming Extreme Rules PPV.
Becky Lynch will defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair at the show, which will be a rematch. Lynch made her big return at last month’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event where she beat Belair in under 30 seconds to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Belair was originally slated to defend the title against Sasha Banks at SummerSlam, but it was announced right before the match started that Banks wouldn’t be able to compete.
Belair became the number one contender to the title last week by scoring a win over Liv Morgan, Carmella, and Zelina Vega in a four-way elimination match This came after Lynch refused to give Belair a title shot on SmackDown. On Friday’s show, Lynch again declined to give Belair a title match, but WWE authority figures Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce came out to announce that Lynch will be defending the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Belair at Extreme Rules.
It was also confirmed that a contract signing for the bout will take place on next Friday’s SmackDown at Madison Square Garden, which will feature an appearance by Brock Lesnar.
WWE presents the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event on Sunday, September 26, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio at the Nationwide Arena that will air on Peacock.
There is now word on whether or not Bianca Belair’s push has been derailed.
PW Insider is reporting that Vince McMahon was the one who made the call to have Becky Lynch end Belair’s SmackDown Women’s Title run in just 26 seconds. Lynch made her surprise return at WWE SummerSlam. Initially, Belair was booked to put her gold on the line against Sasha Banks but Banks was pulled from the card.
Furthermore, the report also notes that despite the fast finish, there is no indication that WWE officials have lost faith in Belair as a top star. McMahon’s logic for the finish was to give fans a shocking moment.
PW Insider had reported earlier this week that Lynch is now considered to be a heel on the blue brand. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter followed up on this by reporting that it was Lynch who requested to turn heel.
WWE’s decision to end Bianca Belair’s title run the way they did was quite polarizing. Even some within the wrestling industry shared their dismay with the decision.
Nikki Bella wasn’t a fan of the move as she mentioned during a post-SummerSlam event (h/t Wrestling Inc).
“You have someone like Bianca, who is such an incredible talent and you can’t help but get frustrated when you see moments like that of like, a championship that meant so much and was lost within seconds. So, I have to admit, for this SummerSlam, there truly wasn’t anything that was my favorite moment.”
Belair entered Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada as the SmackDown Women’s Champion. She was expected to put her title on the line against Sasha Banks. Belair made her way to the ring when it was announced that Banks was unable to wrestle.
Becky Lynch made a surprise return and asked Bianca for a last-minute title match. Bianca accepted and Becky nailed her with a cheap shot followed by a pump handle slam for the three-count. The match didn’t make it to the 30-second mark.
During an edition of his Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast, Waltman expressed his dismay with how WWE booked Belair’s title loss.
“Bianca is on her way to being a MEGA star, and a lot of people are really emotionally invested in her. You can’t do that to people in this day and age,” Waltman pointed out. “You used to be able to do it. That’s why I was saying that was the old mentality, but everyone knows what’s going on. The fan base is incredibly educated, and WWE, I’ve heard them compare themselves to Marvel. Marvel, when it comes to fan service, they’re amazing. This ain’t it.
“You can’t sh*t on a huge portion of your fan base like that. I’m a huge Becky Lynch fan, really big. I was so happy with her run and when she got the bloody nose, cut the promo and all that sh*t, and I’m still a big fan. This did her no favors. It was just unbelievable. Bianca, she’s a thoroughbred. It’s just totally unbelievable that she would get beat that quick by anybody in that f*cking roster. MAYBE Nia [Jax].”
Nikki Bella is not a fan of how the SmackDown Women’s Championship reign of Bianca Belair came to an end.
Last night (Aug. 21), WWE SummerSlam took place inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Belair was expected to put her gold on the line against Sasha Banks. Wrestling Inc. reported that Banks was off the card and WWE ended up having Becky Lynch replace her as a surprise.
Fans didn’t get much of a match, however. Lynch extended her hand to Belair but ended up taking a cheap shot followed by a pumphandle for the three-count. The match lasted about 27 seconds.
During a post-SummerSlam event, Nikki Bella made it clear that she wasn’t happy with the finish to Belair vs Lynch.
“I can tell you what wasn’t my favorite moment and it was when she lost [points over to Bianca Belair, who was also at the event]. That definitely was not my favorite moment. I don’t actually know if I had a favorite moment, because, you know, I’ve always backed the women and always for the women.
“You have someone like Bianca, who is such an incredible talent and you can’t help but get frustrated when you see moments like that of like, a championship that meant so much and was lost within seconds. So, I have to admit, for this SummerSlam, there truly wasn’t anything that was my favorite moment.”
Belair recently commented on the quick loss, saying she was glad to be a part of the moment. Belair vowed to get the SmackDown Women’s Championship back in the future.
Bianca Belair suffered what can only be described as a disheartening loss at the SummerSlam PPV where she lost the SmackDown women’s championship to a returning Becky Lynch in a quick match.
The now-former champion gave her first reaction to this loss at the PPV while speaking to Denise Salcedo of Instinct Culture at the SummerSlam after party.
Bianca explained that she is still trying to collect her thoughts on the development. While she said that she is happy to be part of the big moment involving Becky’s return, Belair also admitted that she is feeling defeated:
“Right now, I’m just trying to collect my thoughts and get my mind together. Everything happened quickly and so fast. I was ready to fight Sasha Banks, and Becky came out, which was an amazing moment and I’m happy to be part of that moment,
But I lost my title and right now, I’m just emotional and trying to wrap my mind around it.” said Bianca Belair, “I have to be honest, I feel defeated right now and okay with being vulnerable and being honest about that. I’m ready to get my title back.”
The former SmackDown star was then asked how she felt hearing Lynch’s music at the show. Replying to it, she said that it was a bittersweet feeling and she couldn’t help and be a little sad about the situation.
While Bianca Belair kept her first reaction respectful and didn’t blame anyone, the wrestling world doesn’t seem to be very happy with the treatment she got at the show. You can check out some of the top reactions to her loss here.
Becky Lynch returned to WWE last night at SummerSlam. Shortly after it was announced that Sasha Banks was not cleared to compete, Carmella was revealed as Bianca Belair’s new title challenger on the show. Before the match could begin, however, Lynch’s music hit and she promptly tossed Carmella out of the ring.
An impromptu match between Lynch and Belair then commenced. Lynch went to shake Belair’s hand, then punched her in the face and gave her The Man-Handle Slam for the quick pin. The match lasted a total of 25 seconds.
Fan reactions to Becky Lynch Beating Bianca Belair In 25 Seconds
Several fans posted Tweets about the match result as well. Many fans are comparing the quick loss to Kofi Kingston losing the WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar.
The rematch of the WrestleMania 37 night one main event between Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women’s Title didn’t take place at SummerSlam. However, fans did get to see Becky Lynch make her return at SummerSlam in Las Vegas, Nevada at Allegiant Stadium.
WWE announced that Sasha Banks was not cleared to compete. She was replaced by Carmella, who just lost to Belair on Friday’s SmackDown. Belair cut a promo about how eventually she will get Banks and until then, she would beat Carmella. This led to Becky Lynch returning.
WWE posted this video of Becky Lynch reacting to her surprise return at SummerSlam:
There had been conflicting reports about the status of Banks vs. Belair for over the last week as both stars missed last weekend’s house shows for an unknown reason. It was reported that both stars were cleared for SummerSlam, but Banks wasn’t featured on Friday’s SmackDown.
Lynch had been away from WWE due to her being pregnant with her first child last year. She vacated the title. There had been reports that WWE could add a Bayley talk segment to WrestleMania 37 as it had been discussed when an idea of Lynch driving a big truck was brought up for her return.
It was later reported that the reason Lynch didn’t return at WrestleMania was due to her not being ready at the time.
The highly anticipated rematch between Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks may not be happening at SummerSlam.
Belair is scheduled to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Banks tomorrow night (Aug. 20). The bout was feared to have been in jeopardy as both Belair and Banks were pulled from consecutive live events. While nothing had been confirmed, speculation of COVID-19 ran rampant.
Uh… Bryon Saxton just announced that both Sasha and Bianca will not be appearing due to unforeseen circumstances.
WWE fans had some good news when it was reported that Belair and Banks were “cleared” to compete this weekend. The good news didn’t last, however.
PW Insider is reporting that Banks isn’t present for the go-home episode of Friday Night SmackDown. Furthermore, there is reportedly backstage talk that the title rematch could be off the SummerSlam card.
Belair is reportedly in Phoenix, Arizona for SmackDown tonight. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not Bianca Belair will get a replacement opponent if Sasha Banks is unavailable. Last week’s episode of SmackDown ended with Banks using Belair’s hair to apply more force to the Bank Statement.
During last week’s contract signing, Carmella and Zelina Vega attacked Belair, leading to Banks locking in the Bank Statement. It’s possible that they could be involved if Belair needs a new opponent for this weekend’s PPV, but of course, that is just speculation at this time.
SEScoops will stay on top of this story as more details become available.
Bianca Belair’s SmackDown Women’s title defense against Sasha Banks at SummerSlam will take place as scheduled, following several days of caution and concern.
The first indication that this match was at risk occurred over the weekend. Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair were both advertised for WWE’s live events from Charlotte, North Carolina and Columbia South Carolina. Unfortunately, they did not attend due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
Uh… Bryon Saxton just announced that both Sasha and Bianca will not be appearing due to unforeseen circumstances.
SEScoops can confirm there was concern within WWE that the SummerSlam SmackDown Women’s Championship match was in jeopardy. Thankfully, with just a few days until SummerSlam, WWE can breathe a sigh of relief.
According to PWInsider, both women have been medically cleared for Saturday’s WWE pay-per-view from Las Vegas, NV. Barring “something unforeseen,” they will also be on hand for Friday’s go-home edition WWE Smackdown.
Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks is the highly anticipated rematch from their encounter this past April at WrestleMania 37.
Bianca Belair, who is the current WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion is known for using her hair as a “whip” as her iconic braid helps her stand out in the roster. Belair explained why she decided to use her hair as part of her in-ring style in an interview with Metro.
Belair said that she’s always wanted to incorporate her hair as part of her moveset in the ring, and she thinks it makes her unique. “That’s something that I’ve always wanted to – when people look at me and look at my braid, that’s my superpower, that’s my weapon,” she said.
Belair added that she wanted to make it clear that her braid is her weapon and if anyone tries to go for it, it’s gonna end up backfiring on them. It’s something that cannot be used against her like a regular weapon, and that’s one of her strong suits. “I don’t want that being used against me. I definitely wanted to put out there that it’s my weapon, and if you touch it, it’s gonna backfire on you. You can’t use it against me, and that’s the way it’s been since I started wearing in 2017, 16?”
Back in June, Bianca Belair faced Bayley inside Hell In A Cell to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship. In the match, Bayley tried to use Belair’s hair against her in an unsuccessful attempt by tying it to the bottom rope. Speaking about it, the ‘EST of WWE’ said that Bayley and her were on the same page with that and wanted to tell a story in the ring.
“I think we were on the same page with that. We wanted to be innovative and use the cell to our advantage and disadvantage but also just make it unique. I think we did that with the story that was told, the whole hair thing,” said Belair about the match. “Every time she tried to use my hair I had something to come back with and it actually ended up backfiring on her. Just putting the message out there to not use my hair!”
Bianca Belair will defend her women’s title against Sasha Banks at SummerSlam on August 21 in what would be a WrestleMania 37 re-match where Belair defeated Banks to win the title.
Bianca Belair recently appeared on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast. The SmackDown Women’s Champion discussed several topics during the interview, including which opponents she is targeting down the road in her WWE career.
“I always say that one of my main goals – I look up to the Four Horsewomen,” Bianca Belair began. “When I was in NXT, I remember just looking at the Four Horsewomen and standing in in the locker room thinking like, Wow, they used to be here in the same spot that I’m at, and now they’re on Raw, and they’re on SmackDown.”
“They’re doing these amazing things” Belair continued. “And if I could ever just get up there and be in the same ring as them, that’s when I know that I’m doing it, I’ve made it. And I’m here now.”
Bianca Belair on Charlotte and Becky
Bianca Belair is eager for Becky Lynch to return so she can pin her shoulders to the mat.
“I can’t wait for Becky to come back. I would love to feud with Becky. I’ve pinned Bayley, I’ve pinned Sasha. And now my goal is to eventually feud again with Charlotte and Becky and hopefully pin the other two Four Horsewomen.”
Bianca Belair is set to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks at the upcoming SummerSlam 2021 event on Saturday, August 21st.
Banks attacked Belair to close out this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, with Zelina Vega and Carmella potentially joining Banks to form a new group, although this has not been confirmed officially.
The “EST of WWE,” Bianca Belair, wants a piece of “The Man,” Becky Lynch.
Belair is the reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion. She’s held that title since WrestleMania 37. Belair is due for a highly-anticipated rematch with Sasha Banks at SummerSlam on Aug. 21.
While Belair is preparing for another high-profile title match, she’s got someone else in the back of her mind as well. During an interview with Planeta Wrestling’s Miguel Perez, Belair said she is hoping to welcome Lynch back inside the ring.
“I would love to defend my title against Becky Lynch. You know, I think it speaks volumes of how big Becky is that she hasn’t been here in over a year but she is still one of the most talked-about names. That shows just how big and how amazing a superstar she is. And, of course, when she comes back, I would love to be the first feud with Becky Lynch when she comes back and I’m the type of person, I’m an athlete, right! So I know that in order to be the best you have to get in the ring with the best.”
Reports have indicated that Lynch will likely make the trip to SummerSlam. With that said, it’s possible that she won’t be on camera. Lynch has been out of action since April 2020 after announcing her pregnancy. Since then, Lynch has been enjoying motherhood and has quickly gotten back to ring shape. Time will tell when she makes her way back to the squared circle.
Bianca Belair has given her take on NXT’s potential new direction.
Reports have surfaced claiming that there are some major changes being made to the brand. The rumors have come off the heels of many NXT roster cuts. Names such as Bronson Reed, Bobby Fish, Mercedes Martinez, former NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff, and more were released.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio recently reported that neither Triple H nor Shawn Michaels had anything to do with the talent cuts. On top of that, it’s been said that NXT will be more focused on getting talent prepped for the main roster rather than being a third major brand.
ViBe & Wrestling was able to catch up with Belair, who shined bright in NXT and has since become the SmackDown Women’s Champion. The “EST of WWE” responded to a possible repackaging of NXT.
So Good At Adapting
“NXT is home to me. They really built me from the ground. When I came to NXT I didn’t know anything so it’s an amazing place to be and no matter how long you are there, [they’re] always gonna instill something in you that can ignite the fire in you and help you to succeed no matter where you’re at.
“As far as repackaging NXT, I know no matter what happens, NXT and WWE, in general, are so good at adapting and just being successful at anything that they do. Look at the ThunderDome and how they adapted at what was happening in the world, making the ThunderDome and virtual fans being able to adapt no matter what to be successful and that’s what’s amazing about this company. Anybody that steps foot in this company, no matter what can go off and be successful inside and outside.”
Bianca Belair also talked about being inspired by Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, who recently went public with her mental health struggles.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks has been confirmed for this year’s SummerSlam.
WWE confirmed it on Friday’s episode of Smackdown when Banks did a promo about how she is back to reclaim the spotlight that she created and said she turned Belair from a rookie to a champion. Banks doesn’t appreciate the lack of gratitude for all the accolades and fame she has brought to Belair. This led to Belair coming out to challenge her to a title match at SummerSlam.
Banks returned to WWE television on the July 30th episode of SmackDown. A segment where Belair celebrated reaching 100 days as SmackDown Women’s Champion led Carmella and Zelina Vega wanting a title shot.
When they didn’t get what they wanted, they attacked the champion. Banks made her return to make the save. This led to a tag team match being made.
After teaming with Belair to defeat Carmella & Vega in the main event, Banks attacked Belair and beat her down. The show ended with Banks having Belair locked in the Banks Statement.
Belair won the SmackDown Women’s Championship by defeating Banks in the main event of WrestleMania 37 night one this April and had been off television since then.
Bianca Belair was supposed to face Bayley in an “I Quit Match” at Money in the Bank on Sunday. Bayley tore her ACL, however, and the match was canceled. In WWE storyline, Belair likely doesn’t have too many positive things to say about Bayley but in reality, she recently praised her as a “legend in the making.”
“It meant everything for me to work with Bayley,” Belair said to Sports Illustrated. “She’s been there every step of the way for me until now. She gave me momentum going into the Royal Rumble, we came full circle after WrestleMania, and she helped show the SmackDown universe who I am. She brought out a whole new side of me at Hell in a Cell.”
“When you’re in the ring with Bayley, it’s different. You have this full confidence that things are always going to go well.”
Belair would continue to say that Bayley is a true leader in the locker room. The Smackdown Women’s Champion believes Bayley’s absence over the next 9 months is going to be felt by the roster.
“Bayley is a locker room leader, and an amazing person inside and out. I’ve watched and learned from her, the way she handles situations and adapts so easily and quickly. She has the ability to make things look so easy. We’re going to miss her so much while she’s out. She’s a legend in the making, but she does so much more than just make it about herself. She gives and contributes so much to the locker room.”
Bianca Belair on Bayley: “We’re going to miss her so much while she’s out. She’s a legend in the making, but she does so much more than just make it about herself. She gives and contributes so much to the locker room.”https://t.co/YntVO0ekp2
On Friday’s episode of SmackDown, WWE named Bayley’s replacement in the match and that’s Carmella. It happened when Sonya Deville announced the news. It was also noted that this match is no longer slated to take place at Money in the Bank, but rather moved to next week’s SmackDown episode.
Fightful Select reports Bayley was training with another WWE star this week and that her “knee popped.” The media outlet was told the staff has been told it’s a torn ACL, but that’s not confirmed by WWE.
It was said that her injury may have actually caused plans to change for incoming talent and two wrestlers on the roster were openly frustrated that the company’s lack of depth left them scrambling to find an appropriate replacement. One person said “they did it to themselves,” before noting that Bayley helped carry the company during the COVID-19 pandemic and did everything that was asked of her.
The injury was said to be a freak accident that happened while chain wrestling at WWE’s mandatory return to road Performance Center training.
Bianca Belair once again put her WWE SmackDown Women’s Title on the line against Bianca Belair.
It happened at the WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view event in Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center on Peacock. The match saw them slowly start to use the cell.
At one point, Bayley turned the tide by biting the arm of Belair. Bayley hit a flip powerbomb into the cell. Belair won with the KOD on a ladder to retain.
WWE set up this latest match after an angle on SmackDown where Belair was unhappy about Bayley laughing in her face so she challenged her to a match on the June 4th edition. Bayley accepted Belair’s challenge and then laughed at Belair again while in a room that was a shrine to herself.
Belair defeated Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37 this April to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Instead of going back to that feud, she went into a program with Bayley. Belair went over in their first match at WrestleMania Backlash last month.
During the match, Bayley tried to use Belair’s braid, but Belair was able to use the braid to help her pin Bayley.
