News broke last week that Sasha Banks and Naomi agreed to return to WWE months after walking out of the company due to creative differences.
During his appearance on Sunday Night’s Main Event, Dave Meltzer reported that the two sides reached an agreement to return a week ago, but nothing has yet to be signed. However, with it being an agreement in principle, it’s believed to be as good as done.
“Last week, which is the last I checked, the contract hadn’t been signed, but they were all expecting that it was happening, Meltzer stated. “They were all on the same page. I was basically told it’s as good as done, but they haven’t signed, so it could fall through. They may have already signed by now, but a week ago, [I was told] they’re back. It could be tomorrow, it could be in a couple of weeks. It’s whatever day they want. They are probably pacing things. You don’t want to show all your cards in week 1 (after Triple H taking over). You want to have something big to talk about weekly for the next couple of weeks. An agreement in principle was reached over a week ago.”
WWE announced last week that a tournament would be held to crown new Women’s Tag Team Champions on tonight’s episode of Raw. Many fans expect to see Banks and Naomi involved with the tournament in some way whether that’s them being part of the tournament or confronting the winners.
Banks and Naomi’s return comes after Triple H took over as head of creative and brought back several stars, including Dakota Kai, IYO SKY, Karrion Kross, and Scarlett.
Sasha Banks and Naomi made their first public appearances on Saturday since ‘walking out’ of WWE back in May.
The duo held autograph signings at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) at McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America.
Wrestling fans were eager to see the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions for the first time in months. They will be back again on Sunday for another round of signings.
It’s interesting to note that Sasha Banks is advertised by her real name, Mercedes Vernado. However, as seen below, she’s sporting multi-colored hair, a signature of WWE’s Sasha Banks character.
Sasha Banks and Naomi were ‘suspended indefinitely’ by WWE after reportedly walking out of a Monday Night Raw taping due to creative difference. A lot has changed since then, most notably Vince McMahon’s retirement. More recently, it’s been rumored that Sasha Banks and Naomi are in talks for a return.
Other WWE legends in attendance for C2E2 include Mick Foley, Trish Stratus and Lita, who participated in a panel.
Here are some photos of Sasha Banks and Naomi from C2E2 2022:
CM Punk is one of the faces of the anti-WWE movement. He has been critical of the company’s policies since infamously walking out in 2014. Punk has been taking shots at the promotion regularly since his return to pro wrestling last year.
The Straight Edge Star recently spoke to The Hashtag Show. Talking about Sasha Banks taking a path similar to his own, the AEW world champion mentioned how he was the first guy to go ‘through the wall.’ Punk claimed that he feels solidarity with Banks, and he is always going to support anyone who stands up against WWE:
“Somebody on Twitter is gonna be mad at me. My thing is always I can’t listen to people criticise me if I wouldn’t ask advise from them. You can’t lead people somewhere you’ve never gone; I try to be as humble as I can be and I don’t like talking about myself but I was the first guy through the wall. I got fucking bloodied for it, you know what I mean?” asked CM Punk,
He continued “To watch somebody else stand up and walk out, I’m always gonna support that. One hundred fucking percent. I’ve never met Mercedes. I don’t know her, but I definitely feel solidarity with her. I know how that place is, I know how women are treated there. I’m not a woman myself, so I can’t put myself in those shoes, but there’s probably a lot of reasons why she peaced out.”
During the May 16, 2022 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of the show, over a creative difference with the planned main event.
Shortly after, WWE suspended the duo, branded them “unprofessional” on TV, and stripped the pair of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
There was a time when it appeared that Banks and Naomi would be gone from WWE for good, but the recent change of leadership could bring them back.
Banks’ Appearance
Since her suspension, Sasha Banks has been silent on Twitter, up until this week.
In her first tweet since the May 16 walkout, Banks promoted her upcoming appearance at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Convention (C2E2.)
Banks told her followers that she is excited to see them this weekend when quoting a tweet from C2E2 which has since been deleted.
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) August 5, 2022
In addition to Banks, Naomi is also scheduled to appear at the convention, with tickets available for photos with the pair of WWE Superstars.
WWE Hall of Famers Mick Foley, Lita, Trish Stratus, and The Undertaker are also scheduled to be at the convention.
AEW star Danhausen has also been announced for C2E2.
Renewed Hope
While the idea of Banks and Naomi seemed farfetched just a few weeks ago, there is renewed hope that they will return.
It has been reported that Banks and Naomi’s main issues backstage were with Vince McMahon, and that both have had good relationships in the past with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
Banks has been pulled from a celebrity flag football match which is scheduled for today, fueling speculation of a return on tonight’s WWE SmackDown.
WWE is expected to be welcoming back two big names very soom.
According to a report from WrestlingNewsCo, a deal has been struck to bring back Sasha Banks and Naomi to WWE.
It was recently reported that WWE was attempting to mend their relationship with the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Especially since the pair’s issues were with Vince McMahon, creatively, who is now retired.
Naomi and Banks walked out prior to an episode of Monday Night RAW several weeks ago after reported creative differences with McMahon. The WWE commentary team went as far as confirming it during the broadcast.
There has been a lot of speculation as to the status of both women since their walkout, with some reports suggesting Banks has already been granted her release. WWE has yet to confirm any releases for either Banks or Naomi as of this writing.
It will be interesting to see what WWE has in store for them creatively. Especially in regards to the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.
Of course, we’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available on tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
Saraya, whose formerly known as Paige, believes that Sasha Banks and Naomi will return to WWE now that Triple H is in charge.
Saraya officially left WWE on July 7 when her contract expired and the company decided not to re-sign her.
Sasha Banks & Naomi To Return To WWE?
During Saraya’s StarrCast V Media Scrum, Saraya commented on the suspensions and rumored departures of the tag team of Sasha Banks and Naomi.
The former Divas Champion said, “I mean, everyone love Sasha Banks, right? So the four horsewomen in general is such a big and critical part of the women’s revolutions. So, I think she’ll be back. I think now with Hunter in charge, and kind of like taking the reigns and everything anything.
Just SummerSlam in general, just showed how much WWE has changed overnight. I mean, I don’t think anyone’s really been 100% happy with the pay-per-view in a long time and people are walking away from SummerSlam feeling like this is a turning point.
So, I feel like eventually you know Sasha and Naomi hopefully in my opinion will come back.”
SummerSlam Shakes Up The Women’s Division
Last night, at SummerSlam, Becky Lynch challenged for Bianca Belair’s Raw Women’s Title in the opening match. Belair picked up the win after 15 minutes of back and forth action.
Naomi is set to make her first public appearance as she has been booked for C2E2 2022, which takes place from August 5 – 7, 2022, at McCormick Place.
She is going by her real name, Trinity Fatu, and will be doing a signing with fans at the gathering. This is the same first public appearance for Sasha Banks, who is also going by her real name, Mercedes Varnado, and is hyped as “Sasha Banks” and from The Mandalorian, since they walked out of WWE.
Watch Saraya’s Starrcast V Media Scrum here:
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to SEScoops for the transcription.
A lot of things are expected to change in WWE with Vince McMahon’s retirement. One of them could be their reconciliation with Sasha Banks and Naomi.
Dave Meltzer talked about the former women’s tag team champions during his appearance on Sports Illustrated Media podcast. He revealed that the company is expected to make attempts to bring the duo back:
“It’s kind of up in the air. They’re gone, the last I heard was that there would be attempts made to reconcile, especially with Vince gone. So, it’s up in the air. I don’t think there’s anything definite just yet.”
Sasha Banks and Naomi
Sasha Banks and Naomi infamously walked out of WWE before the May 16 episode of Raw. They were unhappy with some creative decisions as well as the treatment of the women’s tag titles.
With the team of Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and Nick Khan being at the helm of WWE, it’s very much possible that the former champions may agree to a comeback.
A new report has revealed the possible reason that Liv Morgan has finally received a push by WWE.
Many were surprised when WWE decided to give Liv Morgan a major push over the last few weeks. Earlier this month, Liv won the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. Later that night, she cashed in the briefcase on Ronda Rousey to become the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Liv Benefits From Sasha & Naomi?
In the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer revealed that “part of the reason, if not the key reason, for the recent push of Morgan was the walking out of Sasha Banks and Naomi.”
Meltzer noted that when they left WWE needed a top-tier babyface for the SmackDown women’s division. Now we see that Morgan was the one who got the pick of the draw, which has worked out because fans have always been strongly behind her.
As previously reported, Banks and Naomi are still under contract with WWE. However, Banks’ lawyer is reportedly working on her release. Banks has been making non-wrestling bookings and reportedly won’t make any wrestling-related bookings until next year. It was also reported that Sasha Banks has an asking price of $30,000 for non-wrestling appearances.
It’s no secret that Sasha Banks and Bayley are good friends. The two female competitors were recently spotted together at a public event.
The wrestling stars were spotted chatting with each other at a concert in Orlando. The two later also took pictures with some other friends attending the show.
This is Sasha Banks’ first public sighting with a WWE star since she walked out of the Vince McMahon-owned promotion and was subsequently released:
Sasha and Bayley at a concert in Orlando yesterday
For those who don’t know, both Banks and Naomi walked out of the May 16 Raw. They were reportedly frustrated with the creative directions for the Women’s Tag Team Titles, among other things.
WWE buried the then champions on the red-branded show that night. The officials also stripped them of the titles which they reportedly handed over to John Laurinaitis on their way out.
There has been no update on the future of Naomi. She is still under contract with the company but there is no word on if the female star has any plans of returning.
Sasha Banks’ fee for non-wrestling appearances has been revealed.
Banks has become a hot ticket in the world of wrestling. She and Naomi shook things up in a major way when they walked out of an episode of Monday Night Raw back in May.
The two were expected to compete in a six-pack challenge to determine Bianca Belair’s challenger for the Raw Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell. Creative differences led to the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions walking out.
It’s been reported that Sasha is gone from WWE but the company has yet to make an announcement.
Sasha Banks’ Appearance Fee
(via WWE)
Fightful reports that Sasha Banks has an asking price of $30,000 for non-wrestling appearances.
The report notes that this fee is on par with Sting’s but lower than that of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, and Goldberg.
Sasha Banks has been a hot topic over the last few months and there is some info on her in-ring status.
Back in May, Sasha and Naomi left an episode of Monday Night Raw. The two had been booked for a six-pack challenge that night. The winner would’ve received a shot at Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.
Reports claimed that Naomi was scheduled to win the number one contender match.
Sasha and Naomi ended up having creative differences with company officials and ultimately walked out, leaving their WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles behind.
Latest on Sasha Banks
(via WWE)
Sasha Banks and Naomi were officially suspended by WWE back in May. Since that time, reports have surfaced claiming that Sasha has been released by the company.
Sasha was recently announced for this year’s Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo under her real name, Mercedes Varnado. Other names such as Mick Foley, Lita, and Trish Stratus will also be attending and are advertised as WWE legends.
As for Sasha, she is being promoted separately from WWE.
In an update, Fightful is reporting that while Sasha Banks is taking non-wrestling bookings, she will not be doing anything wrestling-related for a while.
The report notes that all wrestling-related organizers who inquired have been told that Sasha will not be taking any bookings until Jan. 1, 2023.
This Saturday will mark two months to the day that Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of the May 16 edition of Monday Night Raw.
Since walking out over a creative difference with the planned main event, WWE has done all they can to distance themselves from the now-former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Neither Banks nor Naomi have appeared on WWE programming in weeks and it once again appears that Banks is finished for good.
The Signing
In recent weeks, there have been reports that Sasha Banks has been released by WWE, though neither side has publicly confirmed the news.
Now, there’s been a major sign that Banks is gone from WWE, as she is set for a meet and greet that is not affiliated with the company.
On Twitter, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) announced that Banks will be appearing at their upcoming convention, which will run from August 5 to August 7.
The tweet referred to “The Boss” by her real name Mercedes Varnado, and referenced her role as Koska Reeves in Disney+ hit ‘The Mandalorian.’
Interestingly, C2E2 refers to other wrestlers appearing, as “WWE’s Mick Foley, Trish Stratus, and Lita” but references Banks by her real name.
While Banks is seemingly already finished with WWE, her tag team partner’s situation is less clear.
Naomi was also suspended due to the now-infamous Raw walkout, but it doesn’t appear that she has been released just yet.
Responding to a tweet by ex-WWE Superstar Lince Dorado, who asked when they will be able to work together again, Naomi says she hopes to be able to work outside WWE as soon as possible.
Some have speculated that Naomi’s family, as she is married to The Bloodline’s Jimmy Uso has saved her a harsher punishment by WWE.
There’s been no recent discussion about the vacant WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.
The titles have been vacant since WWE stripped Sasha Banks and Naomi in mid-May after the two stars walked out of the company and were suspended independently.
On an episode of SmackDown that same week, WWE announced that a tournament would be held to crown new Women’s Tag Team Champions, but that was the last word spoken of the titles on WWE programming.
Fightful reports that talent they’ve spoken with have noted they’ve received no word of when or if the tag team title tournament will happen. Since that announcement, talent claims they’ve also heard no discussion regarding the titles.
The titles were introduced in February 2019, with Sasha Banks and Bayley being the inaugural champions. Banks and Naomi were the 13th set of champions in the history of the titles, with their reign ending at 47 days.
In the weeks before the titles were vacated, Natalya had been moved into a singles title program with then-SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, while Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley were split up, reducing the number of teams in the women’s division.
It seems that WWE may have started to erase Sasha Banks’ existence and impact from their history books.
Five-Time Raw Women’s Champion Erased From History
An interesting clip is now posted to the official WWE YouTube page. The clip completely removed Sasha Banks from the major return angle she appeared in with Paige. The clip only features Mickie James, when the original clip featured Mickie and The Boss in the frame.
Now that Pagie’s time with WWE is winding down, the clip was posted to honor Paige’s departure from WWE. The official WWE YouTube channel uploaded a video of the Top 10 Greatest Paige Moments which included her notable return and the introduction of Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in 2017.
(Skip to 3:04)
Surprisingly, the footage completed edited the former five-time Raw Women’s Champion out of the return. They only included the IMPACT Wrestling star Mickie James in the frame and removed any evidence that Sasha Banks was there.
The Original Segment
Four years ago, WWE uploaded the original edit of the segment to their Youtube channel. The original clip heavily featured the stare-down interaction between Paige and Sasha Banks, unlike how the Top 10 presents.
You can view the original, four-year-old clip here:
There have been reports from Wrestling Inc. and WrestleVotes that Sasha has gained her release. Dave Meltzer also recently reported that Banks and her lawyers were still working on getting her release, but the release had not been granted.
There have been conflicting reports on the WWE status of Sasha Banks and Naomi. However, an update has come from PWinsider, reporting today that Banks and Naomi were removed from WWE’s Internal roster over the last 24 hours.
It was added that they had heard rumblings that Banks may be doing some signings outside of WWE this fall, but that is not confirmed.
There were reports from Wrestling Inc. and WrestleVotes that Banks had been released. Dave Meltzer previously reported that Banks and her lawyers were still working on getting her release, but the release had not been granted.
Banks and Naomi walked out of a Monday Night Raw event this past May because of creative differences with Vince McMahon regarding a six-pack challenge on the show. The plan was for Naomi to challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Title while Banks was supposed to wrestle then-SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey at Hell in a Cell.
WWE later announced that the two stars were indefinitely suspended and stripped of the Women’s Tag Team Titles. They later removed their merchandise from WWE Shop and their contracts were put on hold.
It’s been over a month since Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE and the company has distanced itself from the pair ever since.
Days after the walkout during the May 16, Raw, WWE suspended the two, stripped them of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, and pulled them from promotional materials.
It has been reported that Banks has been released by WWE, though there is no confirmation yet, but fans won’t be hearing her name “The Boss'” name no matter what.
Bianca’s Awkward Interview
Speaking on Sports Illustrated’s Laces Up, Bianca Belair discussed her career so far in WWE and made a deliberate attempt to avoid bringing up Banks (via Bodyslam.)
“I had the main event of WrestleMania with with, uhh…. at WrestleMania 37. I was the first black woman to main event WrestleMania that night.”
Bianca Belair avoids using Sasha Banks’ name.
While Belair did indeed main event Night One of WrestleMania 37, she did so alongside Banks.
Banks walked into the show as SmackDown Women’s Champion and lost the title to Belair, marking “The EST’s” first championship in WWE.
The Walkout
Banks and Naomi were branded “unprofessional” by WWE for walking out due to a creative difference between the two sides.
WWE had planned on Naomi winning a number one contenders match for the Raw Women’s Championship, and had planned on Banks entering a program with SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.
Given that it was likely that both Banks and Naomi would lose their feuds, and feeling that this would diminish the importance of their WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, the pair walked out of the show, and haven’t been seen since.
Sasha Banks reportedly getting released from her WWE contract ends the WWE career of an all-time great women’s wrestler. WWE wisely made Sasha a huge part of the women’s evolution after she thrived in NXT and held a lot of fan support on the main roster. Banks won every title possible and proved that her childhood dream could come true.
WWE witnessed Sasha having quite a few career-defining moments that showcase just how much she accomplished there. Even though Banks wasn’t always booked perfectly and there were some odd creative decisions, she won out in the end by becoming a massive star. The following moments deserve to be viewed deeper as the best things Sasha did in WWE.
Legendary NXT Match With Bayley
Sasha Banks took her career to the next level with an epic performance at the first NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn event. An argument can be made this was the biggest night in NXT history since it was the first time that they worked a large venue in a sold out Barclays Center during SummerSlam 2015 weekend.
Bayley and Banks paid off their rivalry in NXT by having a must-watch classic match on a bigger stage. The entire wrestling world was talking about this match with the perfect mix of in-ring magic and advanced storytelling for flawless pro wrestling. Sasha took the loss putting over Bayley, but the performance helped define her career.
Historic WrestleMania Main Event Vs Bianca Belair
WWE didn’t push Sasha Banks as hard as Charlotte Flair despite them both being on the same footing in their early main roster runs. Many fans wondered if Sasha would ever reach that WrestleMania main eventer status with Charlotte and Becky Lynch when she was struggling to find the right role.
Banks eventually did her chance by breaking out again with a tremendous Smackdown Women’s Championship reign. Bianca Belair challenging Sasha for the belt at WrestleMania 37: Night One created a historic moment. The first WM main event between two black women stole the show with Banks perfectly putting over Belair to build a new star.
Winning Raw Women’s Championship First Time
WWE is rightfully criticized for not having the best booking for Sasha Banks during her rivalry with Charlotte Flair. The trend of Sasha winning the Raw Women’s Championship and losing it back to Charlotte on PPV upset many viewers, but that shouldn’t take away from their better moments.
Banks won the Raw Women’s Championship for the first time on the first Raw episode after the 2016 brand split. The early stages of the women’s evolution needed moments and matches like this. Sasha received a massive ovation from the crowd for dethroning Charlotte to get to the top of the mountain.
WrestleMania Debut
Another pivotal moment in the very early months of the women’s evolution featured the trio of Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch having their first WrestleMania match. All three women were given the honor of having a triple threat match to replace the Divas Championship with the Women’s Championship.
A memorable entrance saw Sasha’s cousin Snoop Dogg rapping her to the ring as confetti fell in the venue. Banks delivered an outstanding performance despite falling just short to Charlotte. Even though she didn’t win like many felt she should have, Sasha was a huge part of the best match in front of a record-setting WWE crowd.
Getting Revenge On Bayley In HIAC
The top defining chapter of Sasha Banks’ WWE career featured her feud with Bayley in 2020. Fans wanted to see a main roster pay off to the years of Banks and Bayley having a unique relationship. The two stars had breaking points attacking each other, but they always made up to remain best friends as a team.
This ended when Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley finally betrayed Banks by viciously attacking and attempting to injure her. Sasha and Bayley delivered a flawless culmination inside of the Hell in a Cell structure. The feel-good moment of Banks dethroning Bayley to win the title gave Sasha the story, moment and pay off to show a childhood dream reaching peak results.
There you have it, our picks for Sasha Banks’ greatest WWE career moments. Hit up the comments section and share some of your own favorite memories of The Boss’ WWE run.
Also Check Out: WWE runs down some of Sasha Banks’ Greatest Moments
It seems WWE officials are going out of their way to clear Sasha Banks’ name from its programming.
The June 17 episode of Friday Night SmackDown took place inside the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The show featured an Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Riddle.
After the match, Brock Lesnar returned and attacked The Bloodline.
Fans also took notice of something rather interesting following a Money in the Bank qualifying match between Raquel Rodriguez and Shayna Baszler.
WWE Digitally Removes Sasha Banks Fan Sign
After Rodriguez defeated Baszler, a camera shot captured a sign in the crowd that read “Sasha Krew 4 Life.” The production team quickly cut away to a view of the two MITB briefcases hanging above the ring.
While some may have thought there wasn’t much to this, WWE later released an image on its website with the fan sign edited to remove Sasha’s name entirely.
(via WWE)
Sasha had been suspended by WWE along with Naomi for walking out of the May 16 episode of WWE Raw. Raj Giri was the first to report that Banks was released by WWE. Other trusted names in the industry later backed Giri’s report.
There has been no word on Naomi’s status with the company at this time, other than she remains suspended.
We have an update on Sasha Banks’ status as a WWE superstar.
Earlier this week, WrestlingINC founder Raj Giri broke the news that Banks had been released. It was unclear at the time if she had requested to be let go, or if it was a WWE call, but it was a bombshell report that rocked the wrestling community.
I'm hearing Sasha Banks has been released. I don't know if it's he requested it or if it was on WWE's end
Sasha had been in the midst of a suspension after she and Naomi walked out of the May 16 episode of Monday Night Raw. The two had been the reigning WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
It was reported that the two had creative differences with the company over the direction of the women’s tag team division. There was a six-pack challenge involving both Sasha and Naomi set for that edition of Raw.
Naomi was reportedly going to win that match and move on to challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell. Sasha would’ve challenged Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Title.
The WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles have been vacated and a tournament was announced. WWE still hasn’t given any more info on the tourney and it is reportedly “dead in the water.”
Sasha Banks has a unique persona that makes her stand out among other competitors in WWE. Though the officials of the company feel that they can replicate her success with any star they choose.
Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast recently talked about the former women’s champion. He first confirmed yesterday’s news that her attorneys were working on getting her off the WWE contract.
Regarding the perceived value of Banks, Zarian explains that WWE views Sasha as someone who they can ‘clone’ with a competitor of their choice:
“In their minds, they could clone Sasha with somebody else and have her fit that role, and no problem. It is now a role you are playing.”
– Andrew Zarian
“It’s a role with mid-level actors,” he added. ”Everybody’s a mid-level actor, except for a Roman Reigns, or a Brock Lesnar, or a Cody Rhodes. Those guys are the stars.”
He also discussed the possibility of the two parties coming to an agreement. Zarian said that right now, he does not see Sasha Banks going back.
After the initial reports of the former champion’s release earlier yesterday, latest updates on the matter suggest that her departure has not been made official just yet. Though in the current circumstances, it only appears to be a matter of time.
Fightful noted that after speaking directly with Wrestling Inc’s Raj Giri, who broke the news, they were told that Banks’ lawyers were involved and there had been eyes on a physical WWE release. However, they couldn’t confirm a release has been made.
As previously noted, Banks and Naomi walked out of the company on May 16th at a Raw event because they had a creative dispute with Vince McMahon regarding booking leading into Hell in a Cell that would’ve seen Banks vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey and Naomi vs. Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.
It was later announced the two were indefinitely suspended and stripped of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles as a result. Also, their merchandise was also removed from WWE Shop and their deals were put on hold.
It was reported that Naomi was negotiating for a new contract at the time of the walkout while Banks’ deal still has a lot of time left.
Sasha Banks is switching things up in the midst of her suspension from WWE.
The May 16 episode of Monday Night Raw brought some high drama that very few could’ve expected. Sasha and Naomi were expected to be featured in a six-pack challenge on the show but the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions left the building.
Sasha Banks recently underwent PRK surgery performed by Dr. Newsom. The procedure is done to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
The official Instagram account for Newsom Eye posted photos and video of Sasha’s visit.
In the image below, you can see “The Boss” is rocking a new look.
(via Newsom Eye)
Sasha certainly hasn’t let on that she’s missing in-ring action. She attended a concert shortly after walking out of Raw and had spent some family time with her cousin Snoop Dogg.
WWE has publicly buried Sasha and Naomi. The company had both Corey Graves and Michael Cole call the duo “unprofessional” and claim they let down millions of WWE fans.
The Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, and the match itself, make up a huge piece of WWE’s history. A newer piece of said history is that of the few women’s Hell In A Cell matches we’ve seen. As a result of the women’s revolution, the female performers in WWE got the opportunity to go at it inside the cell just like the men.
So far, there has been four women’s Hell In A Cell matches. Three out of the four have included Sasha Banks. Women’s Hell In A Cell matches were featured at the following Hell In A Cell pay-per-views: 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2021. We have seen Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks vs. Bayley, and Bayley vs. Bianca Belair.
Throughout the years, the women’s match has always been one to steal the show. Many times we only see wrestlers get thrown into the cell when the feud is undeserving of it. However, with there being only one women’s Hell In A Cell match, it is normally given to the feud that is most deserving of it.
Previous Women’s Hell In A Cell Matches
Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair (2016)
Charlotte and Sasha set the stage for what the women could do inside Hell In A Cell. From their entrances, you could tell that this match was extremely meaningful. These women took brutal and captivating bumps before the bell even rang. Even though there were some unfortunate, and uncontrollable, mishaps, these women were able to put forward incredible efforts. Unfortunately, the finish of the match was messed up, and the result deflated the crowd, but these women went on to have better matches against each other.
Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch (2019)
Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch has been regarded as one of the best women’s wrestling matches in the WWE. This was viewed as Sasha Banks’ redemption match from her match with Charlotte Flair. The atmosphere of this match really enhanced the match itself. There was so much creativity within this match that it set the bar for the other female Hell In A Cell matches to come. The match itself is regarded as one of the best Hell In A Cell matches of all time.
Sasha Banks vs Bayley (2020)
Sasha Banks vs Bayley was the culmination of one of the biggest stories during WWE’s pandemic era. Banks’ legacy was partially formed due to the incredible matches she had within the cell. Each year, we have seen Sasha improvise and create new things to do within the cell. Bayley’s first go in the cell was one of the defining matches of the pandemic. She was not afraid to take the bumps necessary to make it as legendary as it was.
Sasha and Bayley have such a long history that they were able to use that to their advantage. Everyone remembers their match from NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. They did all they could to create new spots and moments to try and make the match just as memorable.
Bayley vs Bianca Belair (2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLiErWk2OLI
Bianca Belair’s first time in the cell was epic. With only about five years of experience, Belair was able to define her career with that match. From Bianca’s gear to her creativity inside the match, it was one of the significant matches in Bianca’s match catalog.
It would be a crime to not mention the performance that Bayley put on in this match. Bayley worked this match as the veteran had already competed against Sasha in the cell the year before. She was able to lead the match while still playing up her usual heel tactics. Bayley had been messing with Bianca since before she won the title. This was the perfect stipulation for this feud that was unfortunately was also the last match in the feud as Bayley got hurt before their scheduled ‘I Quit’ match.
The Importance Of Women’s Hell In A Cell Matches
It’s another scathing indictment of the booking of the women’s division that there is not a women’s Hell In A Cell match on this card. Between the walkout and suspension of the women’s Hell In A Cell veteran Sasha Banks and Naomi, and the lack of strong storylines in the women’s division on SmackDown, it is honestly no surprise that this is where the division is at right now. As the card currently stands, the SmackDown Women’s Championship isn’t even being defended at the pay-per-view.
Possible Hell In A Cell Matches For This Year
Each year, we see new women enter the cell and test the limits of their in-ring ability. It’s sad that this will not be the case this year. There are many women on the roster who would’ve been deserving of the Hell In A Cell match slot.
The best option for this year seems to be Liv Morgan vs Rhea Ripley. If Asuka hadn’t returned, it would’ve made sense to do Becky Lynch vs Bianca Belair inside the cell for the Raw Women’s Championship. This would’ve been the perfect match stipulation to tie a bow on their long-running feud. The Raw Women’s Championship feud is currently based on a two-person feud that Bianca was placed in. It doesn’t make sense to put this feud inside of the cell due to the lack of engagement in the feud from the champion herself.
There are many combinations of undeveloped stars within the division that would’ve especially benefited from having the experience of being in the cell. Especially those like Rhea Ripley, Shotzi, Liv Morgan, Doudrop, Zelina Vega, Shayna Baszler, and so much more would benefit from being in a match like this.
They truly have dropped the ball with the opportunity to include a women’s Hell In A Cell match like they have for the last three years. The division, especially in the state it is in without its big stars like Sasha, Naomi, and Charlotte, the other women in the division would’ve benefitted from the chance to compete in a more hardcore and savage match stipulation.
Ruby Soho recently spoke about Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out on WWE before an episode of Monday Night Raw. When the walkout happened, many people across the internet and different promotions began to give their own opinions. Sasha and Naomi have not yet commented on the incident. However, Ruby Soho, a former co-worker of theirs, has.
Ruby Soho On Her Relationship With Sasha & Naomi
When speaking with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Ruby revealed that she supports both women and how they decided to stand up for themselves and their careers.
Ruby said, “I’m a very firm believer in everybody’s career and everybody’s experiences are different. No matter what company you work for, no matter who you are or what level you feel like you’re on or what level people portray you to be on. I feel like everyone’s experiences are different.
I have for a long time considered Sasha and Naomi to be friends of mine. If that in the moment and in their heart of hearts is what they felt like they needed to do, then I can only understand from an outside perspective because you never know with that kind of stuff.”
Ruby Soho On Sasha & Naomi Walking Out
The AEW star continued, “You never know what they’re experiencing, what their journey is like to that point, and why they felt like they needed to do what they needed to do. But at the end of the day, you can only just try and see them for who they are as people, and I adore them. So whatever they felt like they needed to do, I understand. Everybody handles things differently. Everybody has different experiences. So until you’re in the shoes of that person, you can’t always say what you would do.
It’s definitely one of those things where I’m glad that they did what was best for them and what they felt was right at the time. I’m always for people standing up for themselves regardless of the circumstances. So if that’s what they felt like they needed to do. 100%.”
Ruby Soho In AEW
Ruby Soho recently faced Britt Baker, in a losing effort, at AEW Double or Nothing in the finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Memorial Cup Tournament.
There has been little to no movement in the WWE saga with Sasha Banks and Naomi.
Fightful is reporting that there hasn’t been much, if any, communication between the two sides. It’s been said in the report that WWE has canceled all of its planned travel accommodations for Sasha and Naomi.
The former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions walked out of the May 16 episode of Raw. They had been booked to compete in a six-pack challenge.
PWInsider reported that Naomi was going to challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship, while Sasha was going to face SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.
Creative differences were the reason cited for Sasha and Naomi bailing on the show.
The two were suspended indefinitely for their actions. WWE vacated the Women’s Tag Team Titles and announced a tournament to determine the new champions.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer has reported that plans for the tournament are essentially “dead in the water.”
