"I've known her since she was 19" - William Regal was willing to put his job on the line for this WWE Superstar
William Regal is currently best known for his role as NXT General Manager. The former in-ring star is a huge advocate for building new talent in his current position.
In a recent interview with the Daily Star, William Regal revealed that he helped 19-year-old Sasha Banks make it to WWE. At the time, Banks was working as an extra.
William Regal also spoke out about how he put his job on the line for Banks, saying:
"She was the first person I went to bat for to hire, because the people who were doing the job that I do now wouldn’t even give her the time of day. I’ve known her since she was 19 and she used to be an extra at Boston. The first day, I was in catering and she came and sat and said ‘do you mind if I ask you some questions about wrestling?
“I wasn’t doing this job then but in the afternoon at the shows, I’d always be training outside the ring and she’d be one of the ones who would always come and talk. When it came to me getting this job… I went to them [about Sasha] and said ‘look, if this doesn’t work out, you can fire me. To see the way she has come through this, and to see what she’s done [is] incredible.”
The risk appeared to pay off, as Sasha Banks was an NXT Women's Champion during her time on the Black and Gold Brand. She is now the SmackDown Women's Champion, putting her title on the line against Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 37.
A recent moment William Regal shared with Sasha Banks
In the same interview, William Regal also recalled a recent moment with The Boss. Regal revealed that Banks wasn't happy at the time, saying:
"I’m sure she doesn’t mind me telling you this, but there are times when this job gets to be a bit of a grind – any job does. I don’t see her as much and we certainly don’t call and text one another, but I saw her a while ago, several years ago and I’d heard she wasn’t so happy.
"I said to her ‘how are you doing?’ She said ‘Alright’. I said ‘how many times have you been world champion? She said ‘Five… I said: 'And was the cheque in the bank on Monday?' and she just said 'That’s all I needed, thank you very much!' Just to see that she’s come through all this and become the star she has been very fulfilling.”
The full interview with William Regal is available here.