WWE Rivals: Sasha Banks and Charlotte on Taking Women’s Wrestling to a New Level

Sasha Banks and Charlotte Banks WWE
Sasha Banks and Charlotte in the ring.

Sasha Banks and Charlotte have captivated WWE fans with their heated feud and string of competitive matches. From partners in NXT to longtime rivals on the main roster, the two have played an important part of this women’s wrestling renaissance.

Despite their differences, they share a deep passion for their profession and putting female talent at the forefront of WWE for many years to come. Banks and Charlotte have a deep-rooted history in a similar way as Trish Stratus and Lita. It’s been a remarkable 2016 for one-half of the celebrated Four Horsewomen.

A milestone for Banks was winning the women’s championship from Charlotte in a milestone battle on a recent edition of Raw. Looking back, Banks was emotional, yet confident in her abilities.

“I knew, if given the opportunity to face Charlotte one-on-one, I was going to do well,” she said, on the red carpet during a “WWE 2K17” event in New York City.

“I turned to my hero Eddie Guerrero and thought, ‘What would Eddie do?’ Becoming women’s champion was a dream come true because it was a moment I was waiting on for a long time.”

Even in defeat Charlotte, who has since regained the gold, had tears in her eyes knowing what they’d accomplished that night. It was hard for her not to be happy for The Boss.

“Just knowing that is what she wanted since she was a child and how bad she wanted she wanted the championship to change from Divas to women’s championship, I was proud of her,” Charlotte said.

“For a second, I was sad and felt naked without the title, but I was really proud of her.”

Banks cherished the win.

“I looked at my title, cleaned it up. took some pictures with it Shawn Michaels style,” she said. “I’m just kidding, but I do like to celebrate with a glass of wine.”

Banks took the more traditional route on her journey to WWE and working on the independent scene early on.

However, Charlotte transitioned into sports entertainment from a stellar collegiate volleyball career and personal training. The daughter of Ric Flair was determined to form her own identity and be a product of her own hard work.

“My last name definitely kind of helped me get in the door because I had no experience, but it has more than anything else hindered me,” Charlotte said.

“When I decided to accept that I’m a Flair and it’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t, I embraced it.  It definitely helped in terms of people not liking me. It became a matter of being okay with it and knowing I was putting in the time and effort, and all this happening wasn’t because of my last name.”

So far Charlotte versus Sasha Banks has been in prime spots on Raw, pay-per-views like SummerSlam and even headlined an NXT live event. Along with Becky Lynch, they even stole the show at WrestleMania.

“It’s not the Divas title. It’s the women’s championship where the women have really been taking over WWE,” Banks said.

“We are making names for ourselves. People are talking about us, and it’s so amazing to be part of this. To be part of history, it has been incredible.”

Banks and Charlotte are proud of the steps forward, but each feel there is much left to do. They are just getting started.

“I never think enough is enough,” Charlotte said. “It’s never good enough. So I don’t ever get complacent. I know I have so much to learn and to get better at. I always think about moving forward. The match Sasha and I had where she beat me for the women’s championship I thought about what I could have done differently. You just want to get better.

“…For goals I want to see the Four Horsewomen on the cover of a WWE 2K video game. I want to main event a pay per view, have a fatal four-way again. It would be nice to see an all women’s pay-per-view. I’m looking forward to a time when the SmackDown and Raw women’s divisions face each other and see how that competition comes along. I want to enter the Royal Rumble.”

One great benchmark for WWE superstars has been the inclusion in the video games. Banks and Charlotte don’t take opportunities like being in “WWE 2K17,” out Oct. 21, for granted.

“It’s a dream come true,” Banks said. “I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time. Now that I know I can play as myself that is amazing. I can’t wait until it comes out.”

“It doesn’t feel real,” Charlotte said.

“I think about it, and it’s crazy. I have an action figure. It’s weird. And awesome…Watching ‘WWE 24: Women’s Evolution’ the other day and realizing the three of us were the centerpiece of AT&T Stadium during WrestleMania. You forget about it because you are so busy, and it’s crazy. You have to think about what has happened in the last year and reflect on it.”

  • Watch the next chapter of Charlotte versus Sasha Banks as they battle for the women’s championship Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8/7CT on pay-per-view and WWE Network.
  • WWE Raw airs live Mondays at 8/7CT on USA Network.
  • Follow me on Twitter @smFISHMAN.