Before I really get into this match, let’s just take a moment and recognize how cool it is that two African American women are going to be the main event of WrestleMania. This deserves to be celebrated and deserves to have a continued impact.
While keeping in mind this historic impact, Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair are two of the best athletes on the WWE roster. You can not deny it or argue against it. Banks is a tried and true person on the main roster. She has been through a lot and has learned from every experience she has been in. While Belair is a “rookie” she has so much potential and true athletic ability. Their match this weekend has all the makings to be one of the all-time greats.
Banks has proven time and time again that she is worth the price of admission. Even though she has shown how good she is to the WWE Universe multiple times, this is the first title reign that Banks has been able to hold over a month. Title defences on the main roster up to this point have been difficult for the Legit Boss.
This Wrestlemania will be a true test for Banks and I just don’t think it is one she can pass. Bianca Belair has been an untapped star since the moment she walked into the Performance Center. With her abilities as a former track star and just ease at picking up wrestling, she has become someone truly special to watch. After winning this year’s Royal Rumble, it would be a shock to not see Belair walk out of Wrestlemania as a champion.
This match has every right and opportunity to steal the show and it will. Banks and Belair already have amazing chemistry. We have seen that play out in interviews, tag team matches, and elsewhere. Banks may like to call Belair a rookie, but I think the rookie has all the cards and means to defeat the Boss. Belair is the EST for a reason and there is no better place to remind everyone why at her first Wrestlemania.
Belair is already making history, there is no reason for her to limit herself. She should have been NXT Women’s Champion during her time there. This is the time for her to truly shine and take over WWE. While Belair has been able to defeat opponents like Bayley and had amazing battles against the likes of Rhea Ripley and Shayna Baszler, she has yet to hold championship gold in WWE. With the opportunity to finally reach championship status and having the bright lights of Mania (with the added bonus of a crowd), I can’t see Belair giving up the fight easily.
This is the moment she has been waiting for. It is time for the strongEST, the roughEST, the bEST to get her moment. While Sasha Banks has been at the forefront of the Women’s Revolution, she has gotten to be a part of a few amazing Mania moments. Banks has shown why she is always in the title picture and the top of the mountain, but she is not unbeatable. She may be the veteran in this scenario, but that doesn’t necessarily give her the advantage. Being good, being great, is not going to win you the match.
Banks and Belair have a chance to put the WWE Women’s division even more at the forefront of wrestling with this match. When I’ve talked to friends this is the match they are most excited about. Belair makes the most sense to win and it is not just because she won the Royal Rumble. Bianca Belair winning at Wrestlemania gives us a whole new uncharted landscape of opportunity. While Belair is relatively new to the main roster, it means she has not had a lot or any matches with some of the women. We’re just scratching the surface with what Belair can accomplish.
If Belair does win this weekend, the feud with Banks could continue for a while and it would be fantastic. We could also see Belair take on the likes of Bayley, Natalya, Tamina, and maybe even some returning faces. The possibility of Belair facing Becky Lynch or even a returning Ronda Rousey could be very intriguing. Banks has faced a lot of women in her career and never misses, but Belair winning her first championship against her really feels right. It isn’t a passing of the torch, definitely not even close for that, but Belair has the momentum. Belair even seems to know the right buttons to press to get under the Boss’ skin.
No matter the outcome, Sasha Banks versus Bianca Belair is a show-stealer. This is a can’t miss match and a match that will have an impact far greater than we could have ever known. I know I will be watching and extremely proud of how far both these women have taken women’s wrestling. It will be a treat for all to watch.