Sasha Banks Cleared to Return, Will Face Nikki Cross on WWE SmackDown This Week

Though she's popped up on television numerous times in the past few weeks, Sasha Banks hasn't [...]

Though she's popped up on television numerous times in the past few weeks, Sasha Banks hasn't wrestled a match since she lost inside Hell in a Cell against Becky Lynch back in early October due to injury. However WWE announced this week that "The Boss" had been cleared to return to action, and on Thursday WWE.com confirmed she would face Nikki Cross on this week's Friday Night SmackDown. Banks was in Bayley's corner for her SmackDown Women's Championship defense against Cross last week, and was also on the receiving end of a surprise attack from NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler. No word yet if Baszler and the rest of the NXT roster plan on invading SmackDown again this Friday.

"Sasha Banks last competed in a Hell in a Cell showdown against Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch," WWE.com wrote in the match announcement post. "Since that devastating defeat, The Boss has rallied behind her close friend Bayley by lending a hand to the SmackDown Women's Champion in her victory over challenger Nikki Cross. Now Cross seeks payback for The Boss' involvement and the role she played in costing the former Women's Tag Team Champion a chance to win the title.

Banks reacted to the news by implying that Triple H had finally paid her to return to action.

The four-time former women's champion made headlines over the weekend when she showed off a new look while appearing at a fan convention.

Elsewhere on this week's SmackDown, Roman Reigns will take on King Corbin while Kofi Kingston and Big E challenge The Revival for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Both matches were originally booked for last week, though both had to be scrapped when most of WWE's roster was stuck in Saudi Arabia due to travel issues.

As the war between NXT and the other two brands rages on, WWE has already announced three matches the Survivor Series pay-per-view on Nov. 24. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar will face Rey Mysterio, Becky Lynch, Baszler and Bayley will clash in a battle of champions and The Viking Raiders will face both The Revival (if they retain their tag titles) and The Undisputed Era's Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish.

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