5 AEW stars Sasha Banks is friends with in real life
Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE Raw this past week due to creative differences when the show was already live on air, causing a last-minute change to the original main event match.
The WWE Women's Tag Team Champions were scheduled to take part in a six-pack challenge before their departure. Instead, Asuka defeated Becky Lynch to become the number-one contender for the RAW Women's Championship.
It was a stunning turn of events that led to the duo being suspended and stripped of their titles. Banks and Naomi's immediate future in WWE is currently uncertain. It's clear that the promotion was unhappy with their actions and have expressed their displeasure on commentary through Corey Graves and, later on, Michael Cole. Is there a way back for Boss N Glow Connection?
If Sasha were to ultimately leave, she would not be short of potential suitors. AEW, in particular, could benefit from her star power. The former SmackDown Women's Champion has complemented All Elite Wrestling in the past, and she also has some friends currently wrestling for the company.
On this list, we look at five AEW stars who are real-life friends with The Legit Boss.
#5. FTR member Cash Wheeler is friends with Sasha Banks
FTR is one of the most respected tag teams in the business. Before solidifying their legendary status in AEW, they made their breakthrough in NXT. Cash Wheeler and his tag team partner Dax Harwood wrestled as Dash Wilder, and Scott Dawson made their way up the ranks on the black and gold brand alongside Sasha Banks.
While The Revival won multiple titles in classic NXT matches, The Legit Boss was headlining Takeover events with Bayley. It was here that Cash would develop a close bond with Banks as they fought to make it to the main roster.
While Sasha would debut on RAW in 2015, Cash would only join her two years later. While The Revival had mixed fortunes during their time in WWE, Cash would remain good friends with The Legit Boss as they frequently tweet pictures and support each other on social media.
#4. AEW star Dax Harwood tweeted his support for Sasha Banks
A number of AEW stars came out on social media to support Sasha Banks and Naomi when news broke of their shocking walkout from WWE. Chief among them was former WWE Superstar and current ROH Tag Team Champion Dax Harwood of FTR.
He is good friends with the former RAW Women's Champion and posted a throwback photo of the pair together with his tag partner Cash Wheeler on Twitter. He stated that one should always stand up for what they believe in.
βAlways, always, ALWAYS stand up for what you believe in. F**king ALWAYS!!!β
Harwood was a big proponent of tag team wrestling during his time in WWE and pushed hard for the division to be given a spotlight. In fact, The Revival were RAW Tag Team Champions at the same time Banks won the women's tag team gold alongside former partner Bayley back in 2019.
Their shared struggle to bring respect to those titles probably fostered their current bond, and it remains strong despite being in separate companies.
#3. Sasha Banks looks up to Dustin Rhodes as a mentor
From Sasha's Instagram!
Sasha & Goldust before #WWEFargo!
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#SashaBanks #SashaKrew #LegitBoss #WomensWrestling #WWE @SashaBanksWWE https://t.co/h3IwPJAGzm
Earlier this year, Sasha Banks sat down for an interview to comment on Cody Rhodes' return to WWE. The former SmackDown Women's Champion noted that she wasn't backstage for WrestleMania 38 Night 1, so she didn't get to experience the backstage reaction but thought it was a cool moment.
Speaking with Steve Fall on NBC Sports Boston's Ten Count podcast, Banks talked about how good it felt to see The American Nightmare back in World Wrestling Entertainment and revealed her close relationship with his elder brother, Dustin Rhodes.
It would make sense for Sasha to be close to the Rhodes family as Dusty Rhodes was a big part of NXT before his death in 2015 and would have played a big part in mentoring the women's division of the developmental brand at the time, which included Sasha Banks.
Before leaving for All Elite Wrestling, Dustin Rhodes had a long tenure in WWE as Goldust and was probably a veteran voice to a lot of the younger talents then. Sasha probably looks up to Dustin as well due to this and has immense respect for the Rhodes family as a whole.
#3. Sasha Banks and Ruby Soho are friends from their time in WWE
Ruby Soho takes on Sasha Banks after the Waiting Room last week ended in chaos, both looking to get the upper hand going in to the Iconic Cup. https://t.co/Pj4DTddstX
Sasha Banks is a well-known fan of AEW. She has regularly posted about the promotion on her social media and was even spotted attending a couple of their shows. When All Out 2021 took place in Chicago, The Legit Boss was seen backstage meeting some of the talents.
It so happened that the night featured the surprise debut of former WWE Superstar Ruby Riott (now Ruby Soho). During the post-pay-per-view media scrum, a photo surfaced on Twitter of the two in the vicinity of each other while Banks was in disguise.
The two wrestlers have shared the ring on numerous occasions as rivals in WWE when The Riott Squad would go up against the Boss N Hug Connection. Despite being in different promotions, The Legit Boss and The Runaway appear to be close friends backstage.
When asked if she would want any of her former adversaries in WWE, Banks named Ruby Soho as one of her choices.
Whether it's in AEW or WWE, the two ladies can be counted on to put on a banger match, and that is thanks to their chemistry and trust as friends.
#1. Swerve Strickland has defended Sasha Banks on Twitter
Racist journalists like this shouldn't be accepted in the community or tolerated.... @k100informer https://t.co/zbYsm3XqnK
AEW star Swerve Strickland was one of several wrestlers on Twitter to have come out in support of the Boss N Glow Connection, with the three raised fist emojis while tagging Banks and Naomi.
The former Hit Row leader might not have shared the same locker room as Sasha Banks during their time in WWE, but his admiration for her is clear. He even called out a wrestling reporter for referring to his social media support of the duo as "racial."