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On the final edition of Thursday Night SmackDown, Sasha Banks ended in a bit of a predicament. After finding herself at the hands of Women’s Champion Charlotte, the Boss received the news that she would be in a tag match against Flair and her protege Dana Brooke during Battleground 2016. Unfortunately, there aren’t many options running around the women’s division for Banks to choose from. However, she has until July 24th to find a partner to team up with!
And as we at Diva Dirt love to throw out predictions for these kinds of things (as you may have seen in the SmackDown Redux), here is a list of nine women we think could take on the unstoppable force that is Flair and Brooke this Sunday!
1. Naomi
After teaming up at the beginning of Banks’ time in WWE, attempting to take over the division for months and even facing off in a heated feud that concluded at Fastlane, Naomi and Sasha have a very vivid history together. There’s no denying that the two are some of the most athletic competitors in WWE. And with that combined with the fact that they have a history together, lead an army of dedicated fans and have impeccable chemistry, this pairing would work wonderfully.
How it could work:
Sasha will start a speech about how she doesn’t think the people she’s been watching for the past few months have what it takes to be her partner. After then bringing back her “krew” speech from a few weeks ago, she’ll begin mentioning her roots. Banks will say how she wants to team up with someone that she knows can handle her, even if they met not see eye to eye. And, before we know it, “Amazing” hits the sirens and out comes Sasha’s Team B.A.D. member Naomi! After a victorious match at Battleground, Sasha will then go on to be crowned the Women’s Champion at SashaSlam SummerSlam this August, with Naomi by her side. The two will go on for a short while longer as a dominant duo in the women’s division. That is, until Naomi gets fed up and begins her inevitable feud with Banks for the Women’s Championship.
2. Bayley
Much like Naomi, Bayley has an incredible history with the Boss. The pair have had what is described as the greatest women’s matches in the history of WWE, and are bound to become long term on screen rivals one day. Though Bayley being Sasha’s partner is predictable, it could definitely work. In order for WWE to capitalise on the Four Horsewomen (something that has yet to make its proper entrance on the main roster) Bayley needs to be introduced as one of them. So, what better way than to have her debut with two of the Horsewomen, and at the same show they all made their pay-per-view debuts at? Commentary could eat it up whilst fans can fill up the arena with their yells. It really could be a great option.
How it could work:
Similar to the previous one, Banks will bring up the fact that she doesn’t see herself on the same level as the current division. She’ll then go on about where she came from, and throw a bunch of references to her days at NXT. Then, whilst the crowd catch on and start chanting for Bayley, the sirens start blasting her poppy theme music and out comes the queen of NXT! The two will then adorably hug it out and successfully compete against Charlotte and Dana. And then after this, the build up to SummerSlam will begin. Sasha and Bayley will boast about their Battleground victories against Charlotte the next night on RAW, each demanding a title shot as a reward. But, as the three are talking, a fired up Becky Lynch storms out to the ring to do the same (we all know who’s winning her match anyway). As Lynch gets the crowd behind her and four women are at each other’s throats, Stephanie McMahon will walk down the ramp to settle the score. The Billion Dollar Princess will state that yes, all three women will receive a title shot, and it will take place in a Fatal-4-Way match at SummerSlam!
3. Nikki Bella
Nikki Bella and Sasha Banks are far from friends. However, regardless of their relationship, they do share a common enemy in Miss Charlotte Flair. After Charlotte dethroned Bella at Night of Champions last year, it won’t be surprising if the former Divas Champion is out for some revenge. And with the fact that Flair refuses to hand Banks her much deserved title match, these women definitely have some business to deal with. Nikki and Sasha are the two most popular women on the current roster, with two extremely loud fanbases. Though they may not be the most obvious pair, there is a lot of sense in this. This would give Nikki a great reason to come back to the squared circle, but the team is bound to be popular amongst fans. Bella fans and Banks fans can unite as a powerful force that will take on the very unpopular Flair and Brooke… and it can easily lead to countless opportunities.
How it could work:
The Boss will go on about how she doesn’t get on with a lot of her female co-workers. She’ll insist though, that despite her disliking of them, there’s nobody she hates more than Charlotte. Sasha will then discuss a list of women that Charlotte has wrongfully played, and, after the inevitable line “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” comes out, Banks will introduce her temporary tag partner, Nikki Bella. After a great match, Sasha and Nikki will come away victorious but will stick to their guns and not hug out their win just yet. The following night on RAW both women will declare that despite their win they aren’t going to be best friends. And now that they’ve taken Charlotte down a few pegs, it’ll be time to completely dethrone her. After a few weeks of the dominating the division as individuals, Sasha and Nikki will score a triple threat match for the Women’s Championship at SummerSlam. Who wins? Well, as long as it’s not Charlotte we can’t complain.
4. Paige
I’m 100% certain almost nobody wants this, but Paige may be a strong contender for this Sunday’s show. No offence to Paige herself, it’s just a little too predictable to get excited over. But, there are a few reasons behind why it would make sense. Firstly, Sasha was the one that saved Paige a few weeks ago on RAW, which lead to Sasha’s current feud with the champ and Dana. Paige coming to the rescue of Sasha as a sort of repayment would make sense, and it could also lead to somewhere better. The other reason for this pairing is their popularity. Both women are extremely popular within the WWE Universe, so fans would definitely eat this up.
How it could work:
Sasha will come out and say that she doesn’t need a partner, as she can take on both women on her own. However, as the match insists that she have one, Banks will then introduce Paige, to the crowd’s (hopeful) delight. Paige and Sasha will then reign victorious as the two then go on to hunt down the Women’s championship along the way.
5. Nia Jax
With her recent 2K17 inclusion, Nia Jax’s main roster debut is most likely coming very soon. And with the draft handpicking six NXT competitors, Jax could very easily fall under that category. So with her inclusion in the WWE draft, Banks may notice that she’ll have a fresh ally on her side (especially as a win against the champ can easily lead to a title shot). And what better way to show off Jax as an immediate force to reckon with? A win against the champ during her first week on the roster and being on the same team as one of the most over women right now will definitely put Nia in the good books of the Authority and the WWE Universe.
How it could work:
During the SmackDown Live draft, Sasha Banks enters the ring with a microphone in hand. She’ll address the current draft and her position (after previously being drafted herself). Then, after receiving “special permission” from her general manager, Banks will announce her partner, Nia Jax! Once Jax enters the ring, she takes over the microphone and sends a message of upcoming dominance to not just Charlotte and Dana, but to the rest of the women in the locker room and the WWE Universe.
6. Eva Marie
This is definitely the most unlikely pairing so far, but may not be so far fetched. After a great rebirth over the past year, Eva Marie has definitely made an impact in the world of wrestling. She may not be the baby face that Sasha is, but with her enormous heel heat, she will have all eyes paying attention to this match. Going in the tag team contest doesn’t have much hype. However, with the queen of heel heat by Sasha’s side, everyone will be tuning in (even if it is to see her “botch”). Marie will have the viewers watching and paying attention, so it’ll be a perfect way to bring her back into the spotlight.
How it could work:
After Sasha enters she stops at the top of the stage as the arena is silent for a few seconds. Then, when she turns her head, Eva’s music blares through the room and the Red Queen herself enters the arena. The two will remain victorious, but after the match, Eva will attack Sasha so that any heel heat she had before the match doesn’t leave her. This will then transition into a heated hunt for the Women’s championship come SummerSlam.
7. Summer Rae
BFF reunion, anyone? Summer Rae has a history with both Charlotte and Sasha Banks. A history that WWE refuses to acknowledge for some unknown reason. And with the more than apparent display of their friendship online, Sasha and Summer teaming up may end up being in the works. The two are great in-ring workers, and Summer is in desperate need of her talent being used properly. So if we place Summer with Sasha, Dana and Charlotte, fans may finally realise the brilliant talent she actually is.
How it could work:
Sasha will tell Charlotte about the “good old days” of NXT. She’ll speak about some of their iconic matches and highlight the time Sasha dethroned her as the NXT Women’s champion. And then finally, she’ll end it on the BFFs – where both women truly began. She’ll say how the two were once very equal when they were newbies, and how it took one woman to make them rise to the top. And then as soon she says that last line, Summer Rae storms out to the ring with a huge smile on her face. The two will be victorious and hug it out in the end, with Charlotte and Dana retreating to the back as they do so. Summer and Sasha will then go their own ways during the following weeks as Sasha will take the championship home during SummerSlam.
8. AJ Lee
This is much more of a fantasy booking, (okay, 100% fantasy booking, oh well), but it could work wonders. Both are phenomenally over with the WWE Universe and share a very similar fanbase – so who would complain? Both women have what it takes to get the crowds behind them, and with AJ being such a driving force in the division over the years fans would definitely be excited to see her.
How it could work:
As Sasha walks down the ramp she reminds Charlotte of how they began the Divas Revolution. But before Charlotte can chime in and take credit, Sasha refers back to a woman that was in the WWE a little while before those two. She reminds us that there was a woman that had survived alone in a match against 14 other women at Wrestlemania 30, held the Divas championship for 295 days, and stood up to those that tried to tear her down. And, as the crowd erupts at the not-so-subtle hints, AJ Lee skips down to the ring with her new buddy Sasha Banks! Over the next few months AJ will step away from the main picture and allow Charlotte and Sasha to deal with their issues. But, when Survivor Series comes along, and a debut from Bayley has taken place, AJ will realise that the Four Horsewomen have truly taken over the division that she once ran. So, with the help of the *original* Four Horsewomen, Paige, Nikki Bella and a returning Brie Bella, a four on four Survivor Series elimination match takes place between the Fabulous Four and the Four Horsewomen.
9. Kharma
Yes, more fantasy booking, because Kharma’s a BO$$.
Kharma hasn’t been showing her face for a very long time. In fact, on her Twitter profile she still has a link to the WWE Superstars page (a page that doesn’t even include her). So could this really be fantasy booking? Yes it is.
The idea of Kharma working with Sasha could be fantastic. Think of it as AJ and Tamina, but way better. Kharma has the fierce look that WWE wants Sasha to have, except she’s way too small of a fighter to pull it off. So with Kharma by her side, not only does she have extra skill (on top of the great amount she already obtains) but by simply looking at these girls one could tremble on the spot.
How it could work:
Sasha won’t say a word. Instead, she’ll enter the ring on her own and let Charlotte and Dana gloat about her lonely outset. Then, the lights will turn off and the creepy laughter of Kharma’s theme song will play, forcing the blondes’ reaction to completely change. The match will be won by Kharma and Sasha, and Flair and Brooke will retreat hurriedly after their loss. The following weeks will consist of Charlotte and Dana being outdone by Kharma and Sasha, until SummerSlam. Here, both women will be banned from ringside as Flair and Banks face off for the championship (that will change hands after the event).
What do you think of these predictions? Have any other options? Who would you like to see Sasha choose? Let us know in the comments below!
