Sasha Banks is a main event player, but despite her skills, she was nowhere to be found during the Royal Rumble event. She didn't participate in the 30-women Royal Rumble match or come out with her best friend, the SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley, during her match with Lacey Evans for the title.
This was a shocking moment, and the fans were taken aback by the absence of The Legit Boss, who is always ready to step between those ropes and perform to the best of her ability.
While it was shocking, one thing is sure that the company would have taken this decision, or the wrestler would not have appeared in the show due to some reasons, and they matter the most. These matters could be personal that the company didn't want to talk about or the wrestler didn't want to let the cat out of the bag.
I will try to list down reasons why Sasha Banks may have missed the show, and welcome your thoughts in the comments section. So without further ado, let's get down to it:
#5 She is injured and couldn't be a part of the show
Sportskeeda's own Tom Colohue tweeted this out during the Royal Rumble event that she may be injured, and that could be the reason why she missed the event. This seems like a legit reason why a wrestler of her stature would miss an opportunity to win the 30-women Royal Rumble match, and challenge a champion of her choice for the title at WrestleMania.
This isn't a good thing considering that we are just 70 days away from The Grandest Stage of them All, but it is a possibility that she may heal in the time frame and build a feud with her friend.
This would lead to a great match between them at WrestleMania, and if their match during NXT Takeover: Respect is anything to go by, we know that these two can create amazing moments for the fans between the ropes.
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#4 Her absence would help the company
Sasha Banks was not involved in the SmackDown Women's Championship match, and so she could have accompanied her friend to the ring during the match with Lacey Evans. But that wouldn't have made enough waves, and enticed the fans to know about her as has her absence.
This would help the WWE Universe get involved in any storyline as they would want to know where Bayley's best friend is. And as we have seen in the past, the company knows how to sell a story to the fans in the most effective manner.
This curiosity will result in more amazing segments, and also help Bayley because she is the champion, and it requires effort and skill to be at the top of the chain. Bayley could also stir it up by adding some names that are involved in her best friend's absence from WWE TV.
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#3 A readymade story for Lacey Evans and WrestleMania
We last saw Sasha Banks when she was involved in a backstage altercation with The Sassy Southern Belle, and since then, The Legit Boss has not been on TV at all. When Banks returns, she would have a great storyline by her side as Lacey Evans was unsuccessful in winning the title from Bayley.
Evans requires a storyline, and as the main event player that she is now in a feud with Sasha Banks will only help her become better between the ropes. This would also help Sasha sell her injury storyline, and in case the former NXT Women's Champion takes a shot at Lacey's daughter, this story will propel her to greater heights.
With 10 weeks or 70 days, in general, to go for WrestleMania, the company has enough time to make this feud happen before the former RAW Women's Champion sets her sights on her best friend and challenges her for a match at WrestleMania.
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#2 Opportunity for a filler feud till WWE Elimination Chamber
Bayley successfully defended the SmackDown Women's Championship against Lacey Evans at the Royal Rumble event. She walked in and out as the champion, which confirms that she would be ready for a challenge from another superstar that would like to step up for the top prize in the women's division on the blue brand.
Lacey Evans has evolved as a babyface, and unless the company wants to add another loss to her list at WWE Elimination Chamber, she should get involved in some other storyline.
In the event of such a change, some other superstar would decide to step up and be a part of a filler feud until the WWE Elimination Chamber, where the champion gets the ultimate swerve, which would entice the fans for the match at the Grandest Stage of them All, WrestleMania.
The biggest question, however, remains who would be the superstar that would be ready to step up and be on the receiving end of a loss despite her valiant effort. This would lead to the final point in this slide, and it would be a good one.
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#1 Sasha turns heel at WWE Elimination Chamber
Sasha Banks and Bayley are currently enjoying their run as friends, but we know that The Legit Boss can turn into a heel in a matter of moments. We saw it when she returned after a hiatus and attacked Natalya, and the same can happen again at WWE Elimination Chamber.
The best of friendships have been broken in the WWE, and this one would have been no different. If she would have been a part of the Women's Royal Rumble match, there's a possibility that she would have been the winner of the match. But due to her absence, the company has the opportunity to build up a friendship storyline until 8th of March when WWE Elimination Chamber takes place.
It would be a sight to witness when Sasha turns on her best friend and challenges her for a match for the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania. These two have a great history, and so the company wouldn't need enough time to build it up because the fans will be heavily invested in this storyline. And if this plays out well, we would see a new Women's Champion of the blue brand at WrestleMania.
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