Fans were left speechless after reports of Sasha Banks leaving WWE Raw during the show circulated the internet last night.
The former WWE Women’s Champion is one of the top stars in WWE and is currently one half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. However, she was joined in her walkout by her partner Naomi, as the pair dropped their championship belts and left the show before the main event.
The main event match prior to Sasha Banks leaving was meant to be a classic. WWE booked a six-pack challenge feature six of the top women on Raw – Sasha Banks, Naomi, Becky Lynch, Asuka, Doudrop and Nikki ASH – with the winner earning a championship match against current Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Bel Air.
However, due to reports of Sasha Banks and Naomi being unhappy with their creative stance in the WWE they walked out of the arena and were not seen again that night.
WWE released a statement after the fact, explaining why the planned match did not take place. They claimed that the pair spoke to John Laurainitis (WWE’s Head of Talent Relations) and claimed that they felt disrespected as champions and felt some of the women in the match were unsafe to work with.
The accusation of being uncomfortable with two of the wrestlers in the match (rumoured to be Nikki ASH and Doudrop) fell on confused ears in WWE. WWE talent reportedly had not heard Banks and Naomi not wanting to work with anyone and the statement by WWE was the first they heard of it (as reported by Fightful Select)
Some have also claimed this story to be a work (not real) and taking inspiration from the real-life event of Steve Austin walking out on the company in 2002.
However, Wrestling Observer writer Dave Meltzer was quick to dispel those rumours, clearly stating “they left. It’s not a work”
They left. It’s not a work
Dave Meltzer on Naomi and Sasha Banks leaving WWE Monday Night Raw
Sasha Banks leaving WWE
The abrupt walking out on WWE has fans wondering if Sasha Banks is leaving WWE in the near future.
Despite being one of the best wrestlers in the WWE, and the world over, Sasha Banks has not been utilised well by WWE over the past year.
Since last years Wrestlemania she has not had a decent story to sink her teeth into and has been booked behind other Superstars like Bianca Bel Air, Becky Lynch and Charlotte.
Sash Banks leaving WWE would be a huge blow, but it seems hard to see where she comes back from this. While Steve Austin managed to come back 8 months later after his walkout in 2002, Sasha Banks does not have the profile nor make WWE as much money as Stone Cold did.
She is more expendable than he is, but so is everybody not named Roman Reigns in the current WWE market. Their failure to build their stars has led to a dearth of talent which Sasha Banks has unfortunately fallen into.
While there was promise when her and Naomi won the Women’s Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania, WWE have done their best to do absolutely nothing with the pair since then. They weren’t even defended on Wrestlemania Backlash and have basically been an afterthought.
This was no more evident than in the originally booked main event of Raw. Both champions were to compete against each other for a chance at the Raw Women’s Championship.
While Naomi was scheduled to win the match, what did that make of the tag team belts? It immediately placed them well below the singles championships, as partners and sisters would fight each other just to get a chance at them.
They are meaningless, and that is one reason why Sasha Banks left WWE last night with no return in sight.
Sasha Banks in AEW
Whether Sasha Banks will go to AEW is unknown. She would immediately be the best wrestler in the division and the top star in the company if she were to go there.
But will Sasha Banks go to AEW? It seems unlikely, especially with her recent stint as part of the Star Wars franchise. It’s looking more like that she will move on to Hollywood projects rather than wrestle in AEW, as their women’s league pales in comparison to WWE’s gluttony of stars.
Sasha Banks leaving WWE could give WWE the kick up the arse to actually focus on the Women’s Tag Team Championships, or it could do absolutely nothing as happened with Steve Austin in 2002.
Like Austin, she has been vilified by WWE and cast as the villain in this disastrous mess that occurred on Monday Night Raw. For both parties sakes we should hope for some reconciliation so we can see Sasha Banks do what she does best in the biggest wrestling company on the planet.
Although Sasha Banks in AEW vs Thunder Rosa would be incredible.
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