She has been a WWE Women’s champion six times but was unfortunately released from her contract. Sasha Banks’ career with the platform has been nothing less than a phenomenal journey with many achievements.
Here are the updates about her release from the contract.
Sasha Decided to Walk Away
The six-time champion’s future with WWE came under serious doubt when she decided to walk out midway during the shooting of WWE Monday Night RAW in May last year. Banks, with her Tag Team partner, Naomi, allegedly walked out of the show and denounced their Women’s Tag Team Championship titles. According to reports, the walking away was the result of the creative differences with the company.
In the meantime, a recent report provided more clarity about the issue. According to it, the wrestler’s exit from the platform was not a surprise at all. In fact, it had been negotiated months ago before Sasha and Naomi left the ring. The report states:
“It was confirmed to Fightful that Mercedes’ (Sasha) WWE exist was negotiated ‘months ago’. It was also reiterated to us that Sasha Banks was able to take wrestling-related bookings on January 1, 2022.”
While the WWE universe speculated about Banks’ return to the roster for months after Triple H took over the creative direction of the company, letting her go came as a real surprise for the fans.
WWE has a Statement about the Issue
After Sasha and her partner walked away from the ring, fans began to speculate the reason behind it. While some reports suggest the negotiation of the contract, WWE itself has something to say.
“When Sasha Banks and Naomi arrived at the arena this afternoon, they were informed of their participation in the main event of tonight’s Monday Night Raw. During the broadcast, they walked into the WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’s office with their suitcase in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk, and walked out. They claimed they were not respected enough as tag team champions. And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents even though they had matched with those individuals in the past with no consequence. Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract.”
Was Their Exit Actually Negotiated?
In some new details of the rumored release of Sasha from WWE, it was stated that her exit from the company was negotiated.
The Boss, along with her tag team partner, Naomi, was terminated following their infamous walkout during an episode of RAW telecast in May, where they were set to the main event. The news of their release later came out, although WWE didn’t confirm it so soon.
To elaborate the Fightful’s report more, Sasha’s exit was negotiated ‘months ago’ when Wrestling Inc. broke the news. The former RAW Women’s Champion is still listed as an active talent on the official website of the company.
Last year, Fightful highlighted that The Blueprint would be able to take wrestling-related bookings starting on the 1st of January, 2023 because of some contractual reasons. It further stated that the WrestleCade wasn’t the only wrestling-related operation that wanted to book her, with The Big Event being another one that was interested in her. Fightful also informed that some conventions even considered rebranding themselves as entertainment conventions so that they could book her before the 1st of January, 2023. However, nothing of it happened.
What is Sasha Banks Up to These Days?
Good news for all her fans.
Sasha Banks is making headlines again. The Legit Boss has not entered the ring since her exit in May. But currently, she seems determined to take another giant leap this year. After her exit, she appeared in many red-carpet events, which made her the talk of the town. In November, it was revealed that Sasha had been living in Mexico for a month to train at Bandido’s Gym.
In the most recent update, Sasha will be appearing at the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.
During her appearance on Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull, Sasha talked about her dream of wrestling in Japan before she signed with WWE. So, it almost feels incredible to be true that she would be a free agent at the perfect time for her debut in The Land of The Rising Sun.
According to a few reports, “Sasha’s WWE contract was set to expire at the end of the year, and the last it was heard, the two sides were far apart on money. While a deal with NJPW has not been officially signed by the champion, she is rumored to have agreed to the terms for multiple dates in 2023 with the promotion.”
The whole affair is likely to give the new women’s title much more exposure.
Little Known Facts about Sasha Banks
A Celebrated WWE Career
Although she has parted ways from the platform, her name still shines bright. Nicknamed ‘The Legit Boss’, Sasha took the WWE Universe by storm with her incredible talent. She proved in and out of the ring that she is unbeatable and tops what she does. Sasha started in the NXT brand as an arrogant villain and won the next NXT Women’s Championship, and the spree for her continued. She went to the main roster and became a six-time champion.
Unique Ring Skills
Throughout her years with RAW, Sasha was known for her unique ring skills, which also made her a member of the Four Horsewomen (other members include Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Bayley). Together, they boosted the women’s revolution in the WWE and even in other companies throughout the industry.
Who is Sasha’s Idol?
You may not have known this, but Sasha considered Eddie Guerrero her idol. The late great Hall of Famer was known for his amazing charisma inside and outside the ring. Sasha too was a die-hard fan of Eddie. In fact, in one of her talks in the podcasts, she stated that she wanted to become the female Eddie Guerrero. She was seen wearing tights that were designed after Eddie’s own attire. She also copied his signature shoulder shimmy and performed his frog splash move.
When Sasha Made History
Sasha created history for herself in 2015 when she and Bayley became the first women to main event a major NXT pay-per-view. The match was conducted for the NXT Women’s Championship. It was the first time women on this platform worked a gimmick match. Many critics and journalists recognized their bout, and it was one of the best matches of 2015. It had also been ranked by WWE as one of the top 100 matches of all time.
Sasha Banks is a Taken Women
The news about Sasha Banks being already taken broke the hearts of many fans. Her partner, Sarath Ton is actually employed by WWE as a costume designer for the attires of many WWE wrestlers. Interestingly, once upon a time, he was a professional wrestler with the ring name Kid Mikaze.
Sasha Banks has Other Talents Too
Besides being a phenomenal wrestler, Sasha Banks is a highly talented person. She has already made her acting debut on TV after starring in the second season of the popular show, The Mandalorian. Here, Sasha played the character of Koska Reeves. Her acting talent was very well-received by the audience and her fans. It is expected that she may appear more on TV and movie screens in the future.
Sasha Had been Trained for MMA
Another feather in Sasha’s cap is that she has had MMA training. Before becoming a professional wrestler, Banks wanted to be an MMA fighter. With that in mind, Sasha trained in MMA. However, she eventually changed her decision and pursued her career in professional wrestling. If she had continued chasing her MMA dream, she could have ended up being in UFC instead of WWE.
An Ardent Fan of K-Pop and Anime
Another surprising fact about her is that Sasha is a die-hard fan of K-pop and Anime. Growing up, she watched all of Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling and anime. Besides this, she is a fan of Asian pop culture. Sasha loves K-pop music. Her love for anime is reflected in her ring gear.
Sasha is Not her Real Name
Do you know that Sasha Banks’ real name is not Sasha? Popular for her professional name, Sasha’s full name is Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado.
A Song is Dedicated to her Life
Being one of the most popular female names in the WWE, a lot has been done for the star. A California-based band called The Mountain Goats actually dedicated a song to her. The song’s title is Song for Sasha, and it is entirely based on her WWE journey.
Sasha Loves Gorging on Sweets
You would be surprised to know that a woman with such a toned body and good muscle weight doesn’t compromise her love for sweets. Sasha is a sweet tooth. When she was training, it became a challenge for her to quit her favorite sweets and delicacies like cheesecakes, cakes, and brownies.
