Sasha Banks Posts First WWE-Related Picture Since Walking Out of the Company

By Liam Crowley

Sasha Banks has had the attention of the professional wrestling world for years, but the past three months have significantly brightened the spotlight. That's because Banks and tag partner Naomi put themselves in rare company when they walked out of WWE ahead of a May edition of Monday Night Raw, citing creative frustration with how the women's tag division had been booked. While disgruntled wrestlers within a promotion is nothing new, Banks and Naomi joined the likes of Neville (AEW's Pac) in 2017 and CM Punk in 2014 as the few who actually got up and left. Unlike their peers, however, signs are pointing to a WWE return for both superstars.

Since Vince McMahon retired from his corporate positions within WWE, rumors have swirled about Banks and Naomi showing face on WWE programming sooner than later. This was amplified in recent weeks, as the previously vacant WWE Women's Tag Titles were finally made up for grabs in an ongoing tournament, the first time the titles had been utilized on WWE television since they were stripped from Banks and Naomi three months ago.

Unlike Neville and Punk, Banks and Naomi have remained active on social media during their sabbaticals. The two made public appearances at Chicago's C2E2 Expo and Marvel's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law launch event and have regularly posted on Instagram. That said, the posts they've shared have been related to their public appearances as well as outside of WWE photoshoots.

That changed yesterday, when Banks shared a series of throwback photos in honor of the six year anniversary of her NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II bout with Bayley.

"Bare witness to my evolution," Banks wrote in the caption. "Happy anniversary to the greatest feeling."

To this day, Banks and Bayley's NXT Women's Title match from that event is regarded as one of the best NXT matches of all time. While Banks and fellow NXT stars Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch had already been called up to the main roster at that point, which WWE credits as the start of the women's revolution, many paint this match as the first piece of that puzzle. In a WWE where women's matches regularly lasted no more than five minutes, Banks and Bayley tore down the Barclays Center for an unprecedented 18 minutes, culminating with Bayley hitting an inverted frankensteiner off the top rope and a Bayley-to-Belly for the pinfall victory. After the match, the two were joined by Lynch and Flair, who embraced for a curtain call.

Since this match, Banks and Bayley have gone on to be both friends and foes on the main roster. The two were the inaugural WWE Women's Tag Champions and went on to hold the titles a second time, while each woman was a champion of a brand. After Banks lost her Raw Women's Title, she would feud with Bayley and end up capturing the SmackDown Women's Championship, which she would hold until WWE WrestleMania 37.

Bayley is currently leading a stable of Dakota Kai and IYO SKY on Raw while Banks has yet to make her return to the company.

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