5 current WWE Superstars who are close friends with Sasha Banks
After a short stint on the independent circuit, Sasha Banks signed with WWE in 2012. She has since become a regular competitor in the Stamford-based company. However, earlier this year, The Boss and her tag team partner Naomi walked out during an episode of Monday Night RAW.
After the incident, WWE suspended Naomi and Banks, stripping them from their Women's Tag Team Titles. A few reports later suggested that the two ladies were released from their contracts. Nevertheless, neither WWE nor the two superstars confirmed these speculations.
Over the past decade, Banks has had heat with some of her co-workers. Meanwhile, The Boss has also developed several friendships in the WWE locker room.
Here are five current WWE Superstars who are close friends with Sasha Banks.
#5. WWE RAW Women's Champion Bianca Belair
Bianca Belair signed with WWE in 2016, nearly four years after Sasha Banks joined the company. The two ladies have since shared the ring several times, including their historic SmackDown Women's Championship match in the main event of the first night of WrestleMania 37.
Despite their on-screen rivalry, The EST of WWE and The Boss are close friends in real life. In an interview with Ring The Belle after WrestleMania 38, Belair spoke about her friendship with Banks.
"I love Sasha [Banks]. Everybody knows I love Sasha," she said.
Earlier this year, Banks and Belair took a friendship test on Yahoo! Sports, in which they arm wrestled, solved riddles, and answered rapid-fire questions about each other. The Boss also spoke about her relationship with Belair, stating that it is like a sisterhood.
"We know each other pretty well. It's pretty crazy how fast our chemistry just kind of clicked. Like it is such a sisterhood that you don't even prepare for. Like there's people that just come into your life, that's not blood, that's not related, but they're forever a part of you. And Bianca is going to forever be a part of me because of the magic we created with each other," she said. (8:00 - 8:21)
The EST of WWE recently teamed up with Alexa Bliss and Asuka to face Damage CTRL at Clash at the Castle. However, Belair's team came up short.
#4. Seth Rollins
Another WWE Superstar that Sasha Banks became close friends with after joining the company is Seth Rollins. The Boss and The Visionary seemingly spent a lot of time together. In 2016, Banks jokingly fought Bayley on social media over Rollins' friendship.
Although Banks has admitted to finding Roman Reigns "hot," she revealed during a Facebook Q&A episode that Rollins was her favorite Shield member.
"Who is my favorite member of The Shield? Of course, Roman Reigns is so hot, but my favorite is Seth Rollins," she said. (H/T: WrestlingNewsPlus)
Rollins is currently active on Monday Night RAW. The Visionary recently defeated Matt Riddle at Clash at the Castle.
#3. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Sasha Banks & Roman Reigns https://t.co/Luu54LKnIh
Despite choosing Seth Rollins as her favorite Shield member, Sasha Banks is still close friends with Roman Reigns. The Boss has defended The Tribal Chief several times against all criticism.
In an interview in 2016, the former SmackDown Women's Champion picked Roman Reigns as the best male wrestler on the roster.
"Roman Reigns. Whether you guys love him, boo him, hate him - I think all the guys are jealous of him. He is an incredible athlete. He’s one to watch. He does it and kills it every single week," she said. (H/T: CagesideSeats)
In October 2018, Reigns announced on Monday Night RAW that his leukemia had returned. As The Tribal Chief returned backstage after the promo, Banks was among the superstars who rushed to gorilla to support him. In an interview with Maria Menounos a few days later, The Boss spoke about her relationship with Reigns.
"I didn't know, and I don't want to cry 'cause he's so…he's very special, and I'm still shaken from that news. I remember getting ready for my match and walking backstage and everyone just stopped and was watching some kind of screen of any sort that they could see, and I'm like 'what's going on? what-what did he just tell us?' Everyone found out with that promo, the whole world. No-one backstage knew. I ran to gorilla 'cause I'm like- he is the strongest, most amazing man I've ever met. He's taught me so much since I've been on RAW," she said. (H/T: GiveMeSport)
A few months later, Reigns returned to the ring. He is currently the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. The Tribal Chief recently retained his title after defeating Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle.
#2. Xavier Woods
Xavier Woods joined WWE in 2010, nearly two years before Sasha Banks. The 2021 King of the Ring spent three years in developmental, during which he developed a friendship with The Boss.
In an interview with the We Have Cool Friends podcast, Banks showered Woods with praise.
"[Xavier is] always very helpful. Not with just me but with all of the superstars. He was the guy when we were told we might be on the cut to get fired, he would help us out with characters and create videos for guys to send in. He took all of the time out of his day to help other people. He helped me so much with my promos to find myself in NXT before I was the Legit Boss, I just this nerd that loved anime. I remember doing a Pokemon promo with him on our last day of FCW. He's always been super incredible and nice to me. [On the main roster] he was telling me about this video game show he wants to start and if I wanted to help and be on it. We did a sit-down interview and it kind of took off from there," she said. (H/T: Fightful)
Banks and Woods became close friends as The Boss appeared several times on his video game show UpUpDownDown.
Woods is currently active on SmackDown as part of The New Day. He recently teamed up with his tag team partner Kofi Kingston to compete in a Fatal-Four-Way Tag Team Match on Monday Night RAW. However, the bout ended in no contest after Braun Strowman attacked and destroyed the four teams involved.
#1. Bayley
Sasha Banks and Bayley pose with State Champs at recent concert 🤘 https://t.co/WivSI5P5rA
Sasha Banks was initially close friends with Charlotte Flair during her time in NXT. However, The Boss later became closer to another member of the Four Horsewomen, Bayley.
In an interview with the Broken Skull Sessions in 2021, The Role Model revealed how she and Banks became close friends.
"I was kind of like the outcast because Sasha was very close with Charlotte [Flair], and they would travel together all the time, and then she got very close with Becky [Lynch], and then they travelled together all the time. But I was never very close with any of them, you know, until maybe like, obviously when we started doing the [NXT TakeOver] Brooklyn stuff, but then Sasha and I started getting closer and closer. We were always super close, text all the time," she said.
Bayley and Banks have shared the ring as partners and opponents several times. The two best friends have also held the Women's Tag Team Championships together twice.
Since she and Naomi walked out, Banks and Bayley have attended a few events together, including a concert and a baseball game. In an interview with Sports Illustrated ahead of Clash at the Castle, The Role Model stated that she supports Banks and Naomi "100 percent, no matter what."