Sasha Banks Reportedly Released By WWE

Sasha Banks has reportedly been released by WWE.

Credit: WWE.com

Sasha Banks has reportedly been released per Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc.

After teasing a big story regarding a release, Giri followed up on Twitter by stating “I’m hearing Sasha Banks has been released. I don’t know if it’s he requested it or if it was on WWE’s end.”

WWE did not respond to a request for comment. This article will be updated if and when it does.

Banks has had a rocky relationship with WWE that most recently took an ugly turn last month when Banks and former WWE Women’s tag team champion Naomi walked out during the May 16 broadcast of Raw. Both Naomi and Banks—who recently underwent eye surgery—have remained quiet on the matter aside from a cryptic tweet here and there.

Banks previously asked for her release in 2019, but admitted to being denied the request by Vince McMahon in an interview with BT Sports (h/t WrestleTalk).

“I felt like I was simply not giving my highest good,” said Banks.

“If I am not giving my highest good, if I am unable to the best, if I am not used as the best then I really have to go find that. I am always that performer of wanting to be No. 1 and I felt in my heart that I was not feeling just good.”

“I felt that I did all that I could and I needed that break. I needed that release and Vince told me, ‘No’. That was a great decision on both ends. He knew what he saw and he is so intelligent, he is so kind and gentle. He actually knew what I needed, which was ‘time’, at the end of the point all of want a little bit of time.”

Banks’ walkout during WWE Raw alongside Naomi may have signaled the bitter end for one of WWE’s top stars and pioneers of its women’s revolution. Banks has won every women’s singles title in WWE and NXT XT with the exception of the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships, which were established long after she left the brand. Though accomplishments of this nature have been watered down over the years, they’re also a testament to how deeply ingrained Banks was in WWE’s tough-to-crack main event picture.

“When Sasha Banks and Naomi arrived at the arena this afternoon, they were informed of their participation in the main event of tonight’s Monday Night Raw,” read a WWE statement following Banks and Naomi’s abrupt exit.

“During the broadcast, they walked into WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis office with their suitcases in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk and walked out.”

“They claimed they weren’t respected enough as tag team champions. And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents even though they’d had matches with those individuals in the past with no consequence. Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract.”

“We regret we were unable to deliver, as advertised, tonight’s main event.”

Longtime WWE lead announcer Michael Cole doubled down with similar comments days later on WWE SmackDown.

Banks’ release would presumably come with a 90-day non-compete clause, meaning she should be free to compete elsewhere by mid-September. For what it’s worth, AEW All Out will be held on September 4, which would likely occur during Banks’ 90-day non-compete period.

Should Banks be out of WWE, it remains unknown what the future holds for her tag team partner Naomi. Banks represents something of a clean break for WWE, though her husband Sarath Ton works with WWE as a costume designer. Naomi’s ties with the promotion are much deeper as her husband Jimmy Uso is one-third of the top act in WWE and also cousins with top WWE star Roman Reigns. For obvious reasons, WWE may tread far more lightly in Naomi’s situation.

If Banks has wrestled her last match in WWE, she’ll have left behind a hall of fame career even if she never laces up a pair of boots again. Banks has been a strong proponent of mental health after admitting WWE broke her during her 2019 sabbatical. Perhaps parting ways with WWE had to happen in order to protect her peace.