One Person Saved Sasha Banks’ Job In NXT Before She Became ‘The Boss’
Despite the staggering amount of WWE Superstars who have come through WWE’s development system, so many great wrestlers have found themselves on the chopping block over the years. Developing new stars can be touch and go, but it’s a process that proves you don’t know what a talent is capable of until they are given a real chance. Sometimes, it only takes one WWE official to defend a talent until they can show their value.
Apparently, WWE officials didn’t see a great deal of potential in “The Boss” during her earlier days in NXT and WWE’s developmental system. During a recent interview with Metro, William Regal revealed that he was a fan of Sasha Banks before she was “The Boss,” and apparently saved her job early in her training.
“I don’t really like singling anyone out, but Sasha Banks. I’ve known her since she was 18, and the previous people that were doing what I’m doing wouldn’t even give her the time of day. When I was asked by HHH to be part of that team, of which there is nobody still here who was in the team at the time, I kept asking to bring her in, to which people replied ‘oh no, there is nothing in her, she’s useless. Sasha was the first person I went to bat for, and her development is a great thing to see”
In the past, Sasha Banks has said that she did not feel comfortable in the developmental system early in her WWE career. She revealed that she felt that she was on the verge of being fired, which makes sense after the way William Regal spoke about how WWE officials felt about her at the time. However, many changes were made to the developmental system, Sasha Banks became “The Boss,” and the rest is for WWE history books.
Sometimes, all it takes to make a WWE Superstar is just a little support. Regal saw something in Sasha that became “The Boss.” Obviously, her success has been a feather in the cap for him because Regal saw a star in her before almost anyone else did. However, you have to wonder how Sasha’s career would have progressed if Regal had not gone to bat for her with other WWE officials and Triple H before she became “The Boss.”
Sasha Banks could be on Lucha Underground, New Japan Pro Wrestling, or any other wrestling promotion in the world. Her talent is undeniable, and she likely would have made a name for herself in the industry in time. However, WWE history would be a lot different without The Boss in WWE over the past few years.
Just like in any other sport, developing talent in wrestling is an extremely difficult process. There are always talented people who walk in the door, but they don’t develop or fit into stars for many possible reasons. A lot of stars that walk into WWE developmental are not viewed as top prospects until some time passes. All it takes is for one person to believe in your ability, and that confidence makes all the difference very quickly.
Sasha Banks is another example of a developmental talent who needed someone like William Regal to notice them and give them the confidence to live up to their potential. Regal doesn’t get to say that he created “The Boss,” but he can say that he saw something in her before anyone else. His story should be a reminder that a developmental talent shouldn’t be judged too harshly. Sometimes, a second look goes a very long way.
[Featured Image by WWE]
