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The reign of '2 Beltz Banks' has officially begun as Sasha Banks captured the RAW Women's Championship on the July 27 episode RAW. Banks defeated Asuka in a highly contested match that ended with Asuka leaving the ring to aid her friend Kairi Sane, who was being attacked by Smackdown Women's Champion Bayley. Asuka's decision to put her friendship with Sane over her championship has certainly had the WWE Universe talking about the outcome.
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Following the controversial finish to the RAW Women's Championship match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon made an appearance to bring clarity to the controversy. McMahon announced the rematch between Sasha Banks and Asuka, with the stipulation that if either were to get counted out or disqualified, the other Superstar would walk away with the title.
Now, Sasha Banks and Bayley hold all the gold in the WWE Women's landscape. The duo are not only champions of the company's flagship shows, but they also hold the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. With Banks being the newly crowned Boss of the Red brand, the possibility of intriguing matchups are a fantasy booking dream.
Here are five possible opponents for the brand-new RAW Women's Champion.
#5 Bianca Belair
Although we haven't seen much of the EST of RAW since her debut on the Red brand, the prospect of a matchup against Sasha Banks is an intriguing one. Banks and Bianca Belair would be able to showcase not only their wrestling prowess, but the promos leading up to the match could be magical. This would also give Belair a chance to be in a marquee position and regenerate the buzz that was there when she initially showed up on Monday nights.
Belair's strength and athletic ability in the ring, coupled with her skills on the microphone has attracted fans since her time in NXT. Sasha Banks could bring more out of the budding Superstar.
For Sasha Banks, this would allow her to establish her title reign early and contribute to a lengthier title run than she's had in the past. Having these two do battle would also create new and exciting matchups in the Women's division, allowing for the potential of fresh storylines down the road for WWE's creative team.
#4 Nia Jax
Over the last several weeks, we hadn’t seen or heard much from Nia Jax. Could she be the next in line to face Sasha Banks? She finally returned to our screens this week with an encounter with Shayna Baszler. Jax feels that she has a legitimate beef with the way she lost her match against Asuka at Backlash, calling referee John Cone’s count a fast one.
She has not gotten the opportunity for a rematch, which is a point of contention for her. If she were to get another shot at the title now, it would be against the newly-crowned championSasha Banks. For Banks, this would allow her to showcase her skills against a more physically dominant opponent and show that she can rise to the occasion despite the challenge.
This matchup could also provide a storyline that shows Sasha Banks persevere against the odds of facing the physical Jax, elevating the importance of her new title run.
#3 Shayna Baszler
Like Jax, Shayna Baszler has not been featured on screen for quite some time. A potential match against Sasha Banks could be huge for her momentum. Her back and forth with Nia Jax on RAW was a much-needed appearance for both women as they fight for opportunities, they feel they've earned. While Baszler was in the spotlight early in her RAW run, facing former RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch and participating in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, she has not been in a prominent role since then.
With Baszler now back on RAW, what's next for the Queen of Spades? A short program with Jax could be a proper launching point for Baszler to transition into a feud with Sasha Banks.
An opportunity to face Sasha Banks for the title would certainly change that. Not only would Baszler have the opportunity to use her unique style against the champion, but it would also give her a chance to showcase improved promo skills.
#2 Naomi
This pick is probably a surprise for some as a challenger for Sasha Banks, but a change of scenery for Naomi may be well received. With the recent social media outpouring of support for Naomi, a move to the Red brand and a potential matchup against Sasha Banks could be the feud that brings out the best in both competitors.
A match against Naomi would give Sasha Banks an extremely athletic and crowd-favorite opponent, which would serve as a perfect foil to the heelish tendencies of Banks and Bayley. This would also create an opponent that could chase Sasha Banks as she tries to hold on to the belt that she’s fought so hard to capture.
Naomi moving to RAW would also give the possibility for other matchups that could lead to a #1 contender’s scenario for all of the women and an opportunity to challenge for the RAW Women’s Championship.
#1 Asuka
Finishes aside, Asuka and Sasha Banks have put on amazing matches against one another during their feud for the title. Another match between these two, with Asuka's mind focused on revenge, could be a match that fans will be talking about for a long time.
Now that Asuka has lost her championship, she can be unleashed to seek vengeance for not only her friend but to give chase to Banks for taking away her belt prematurely. If the final images we got of Asuka on RAW are any indication of what's to come, we could be in store for another epic showdown between Sasha Banks and Asuka. We may get a darker version of Asuka now and that could pose problems for Banks.
A win in this potential matchup for Sasha Banks would further legitimize her championship victory and go a long way in establishing her title reign going forward.
