Sasha Banks’ appearances on Kevin Hart’s Cold as Balls interview series dropped this week in which she talked about how she is treated by the WWE as one of its biggest stars. The full interview was released to YouTube on Tuesday and fans have since combed through the comments following Banks’ decision (along with her tag team partner Naomi) to walk out of this week’s Monday Night Raw over creative frustrations with how the Women’s Tag Team Championships were being used.
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Banks brought up in the interview how, prior to finding success as “The Boss,” she was referred to by an unnamed NXT writer as just a “good hand.” Hart later asked if she feels she gets the respect she deserves based on all of her accomplishments.
“I feel like I definitely get the respect I deserve in WWE. To be a woman and to main event, wake up, that wouldn’t be possible. Now, we are here doing it and to be a part of that is just so incredible,” Banks said.
Banks and Naomi reportedly pushed to defend their tag titles against Nikki ASH and Doudrop at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view next month, but WWE wanted each woman to instead challenge Bianca Belair and Ronda Rousey for the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships in singles matches. WWE put out a statement before Raw was even over claiming that Banks and Naomi felt “unsafe” working with two of the women in the originally-planned six-pack challenge that would’ve included themselves, Becky Lynch, Asuka, ASH and Doudrop.
“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 WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’ office with their suitcases in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk and walked out,” the statement read. “They claimed they weren’t 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 matches 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. We regret we were unable to deliver, as advertised, tonight’s main event.”
