How Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair Raised the Bar for Women in WWE

Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair in the women’s division have had the most inspiring careers in WWE. After years of rivalry and friendly matchups, as rivals, friends, and even individually, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair are the “blueprint” for what women in the WWE can be today.

Several impressive feats from when they were both part of the original “Four Horsewomen” stable in NXT, which basically gave the women’s division more respect.
Over the years, both have raised the bar for women in WWE by demonstrating equal athleticism, durability, and even crowd work on par with the men’s. And boy, can they cut a good promo.

In fact, the trio Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and the new era of women in WWE, where women partake in gruesome matches designed and set aside for men. The chemistry between the WWE superstars — from feuds to personalities and in-ring performances.

Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair Have Fantastic Ring Chemistry

The incredible chemistry between Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks, and their ability to bring out the best in each other while dismantling WWE’s patriarchal structure, is refreshing. Their work goes beyond the types of matches or how far WWE allowed women to go, or expected them to go, in the ring.

The work done by Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bailey, Paige, Stephanie McMahon, Lana, and every other woman who was a part of the WWE Divas Evolution is why women’s matches are no longer break time. People in the audience no longer go out for bathroom breaks or popcorn during their matches.

Sasha Banks and Charlotte: Their Conflicting Gimmicks

Sasha Banks believes she is the boss, the best of all time, and the blueprint. She moves around and owns this personality in all ramifications. And so does Charlotte Flair; she believes she is the queen and that she only belongs at the top. With such a big chip on their shoulders, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair put on a show every time they step into the ring, especially when they face off.

WWE’ Firsts’ With Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks at Hell in a Cell 2016 was also a glass-ceiling moment. This was not only the first time women would headline a pay-per-view event, but also the first-ever women’s Hell in a Cell match.

After a grueling match-up, Charlotte Flair won the match to become the new Raw Women’s Champion. 

Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair have actively contributed to WWE’s evolution, inspiring pride and admiration among fans for their groundbreaking milestones and future Hall of Fame careers.

First Women’s WWE Hell in a Cell Match (2016):

Charlotte Flair Vs Sasha Banks at the WWE Hell in a Cell 2016 event on October 30, 2016. The pair took themselves into a rugged battle in one of WWE’s most extreme structures, often associated with The Undertaker (who fought in the inaugural match against Shawn Michaels in 1997)

First, the Last Woman Standing (2018)

Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair (Last Woman Standing March for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, WWE Evolution). In the penultimate match, Becky Lynch defeated Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

WWE First Women’s Tag Team Champions (2019):

The inaugural tag team match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship took place at the Elimination Chamber event in 2019. The Boss’ n’ Hug Connection team of Bayley and Sasha Banks won this Elimination Chamber match. The match served as the final showdown in a tournament held to crown the first champions and featured six teams competing for the title.

WWE Women’s WrestleMania Main Event (Wrestlemania 35 (2019)):

The Triple Threat Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey competed for the Women’s WWE Championship in a rousing WrestleMania Main Event. In 2019, Becky Lynch won the Women’s Royal Rumble match, securing her spot to challenge Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 35.

Though Becky was initially replaced by Charlotte Flair, she managed to claw her way back into the match. This showdown ultimately evolved into a winner-takes-all championship match. After a grueling game, Becky Lynch won the historic Winner Takes All Match to capture both the Raw and SmackDown Women’s first-ever all-female main event in WWE’s history.

WWE Women’s first Elimination Chamber (2018)

 The historic Women’s Elimination Chamber Match took place in 2018, and it featured Sasha Banks, Bayley, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, and Mickie James. In the historic six-woman match, Alexa Bliss defended and won her Raw Women’s Championship.

WWE’s First Women’s Money in the Bank Match (2017)

The first Women’s Money in the Bank match was won by Carmella in 2017. Even though big names like  Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Natalya, and Tamina competed for the title, in a controversial finish, at the WWE Money in the Bank 2017, Carmella’s manager, at the time, James Ellsworth, interfered by climbing the ladder and dropping the briefcase to Carmella.

However, WWE General Manager Daniel Bryan stripped her of the contract and scheduled a rematch. Guess you can say, “what will be, will be”, as Carmella still won and retained the women’s Money in the Bank contract rematch in 2017. She came out smiling after a atal five-way elimination match with the lethal opponents, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Natalya, and Tamina on the June 27th episode of SmackDown LIVE. 

WWE First Women’s Royal Rumble Match (2018)

The women’s division in WWE didn’t get to taste the Royal Rumble until 2018, a colossal 30 years after the first Royal Rumble was held on January 24, 1988, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

The winners of the Royal Rumble matches get an automatic chance to challenge for the world heavyweight championship at the next WrestleMania. With the WWE Royal Rumble, there were two big deals wrapped into one: first, the opportunity to hold the coveted title, and then the chance to shine in WWE’s Biggest event, WrestleMania. Hence, the big crowd of old, new, and upcoming wrestlers “rumbling” to stay in the ring and eliminate others.

The first edition of the WWE Women’s Royal Rumble was won by Asuka. Even though Sasha Banks did not win the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble, she did set a new record, after lasting a whopping 54:46, before being eliminated by the Bella Twins.

Other WWE superstars who participated in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble are Bayley, Becky Lynch, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Lita, and 25 others.

Sasha Banks Gets Candid About Her Mental Health Struggles

Sasha Banks, like many other WWE superstars, has at one point or another opened up about her mental health struggles. It’s no surprise that the women in WWE have also faced some of the saddest parts of being a WWE superstar. WWE wrestlers like Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, and Alexa Bliss have all been open about their mental health and the toll it takes being a wrestler.

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In a conversation with WWE veteran Stone Cold Steve Austin, Sasha Banks revealed she took a break from WWE SmackDown Live in 2019 after falling into depression, providing a context for her mental health journey that led to long hiatus from WWE in 2019. She said:

“Depression was taking over, my mind was taking over, my thoughts were taking over. This place was bigger than me. And I really, really lost myself because for a good seven years, I didn’t even hear my real name. I didn’t hear Mercedes anymore.”

Sasha Banks got through this very dark phase in her life by returning to her wrestling roots, taking a few months away from WWE to get reacquainted in Japan. Her quest for something new also leads her to try acting.

Sasha Banks expressed her desire to establish a career outside of WWE at the same time as her call to be in Star Wars. WWE Superstar Sasha Banks made her debut in the Star Wars Universe last year by appearing in two episodes of The Mandalorian as Koska Reeves—a role she embodied as a true warrior.

Sasha Banks’ break from WWE lasted six months, and when she returned to WWE SmackDown Live, she became the first women’s tag team champion with her best friend, Bailey, in no time. Together, Sasha and Bailey became dual champions.

Where is Sasha Banks Now?

After a great career in WWE and personal struggles behind the scenes, Sasha Banks, now known as Mercedes Moné, continued her professional wrestling career, signing with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). After leaving WWE, she wrestled in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) before officially debuting with AEW in 2024. She has also held the AEW TBS Championship. 

Charlotte Flair Opens Up About Struggles in Marriage and Career After Divorce From Andrade El Idolo

WWE has created an awful lot of couples, and for Charlotte Flair and Andrade, besides a red carpet or two here and there, they kept that relationship pretty private.

In a chat with People magazine, she opened up about how Andrade influenced her life. She said, “She was so strict about her job and did not know how to enjoy both life and work at the same time,” adding that he (Andrade El Idolo) opened her up to that:

“Before I met him, I did not know anything except my job,”when I met him, he opened my eyes to travel, life, love, and a different culture. And I was so strict with my job and did not know how to enjoy both life and work at the same time. And he opened me up to that.”

Regardless, their relationship ended after nearly six years together. They coupled up sometime in 2019, and they got married three years later in May 2022. WWE Star Charlotte Flair Filed for Divorce from Husband Andrade in June 2024. Sadly, Charlotte Flair and Andrade El Idolo officially finalized their divorce in October 2024. 

On her divorce, Charlotte Flair said she felt like she was “failing in both her career and her personal life.” Opening up about her failing marriage and knee injury, she shared during an appearance on The Sherri Shepherd Show:

“I felt like I was failing at my job. I felt like I was failing in my personal life. And the embarrassment of being divorced again, and then being compared to my father…When I made the decision to file for divorce, the only thing that I kept thinking was like, I just didn’t want anyone to know. Like, oh my gosh, I have failed again. And then my knee, and then I think, you know as women, I think men too, but it’s like, everyone’s probably thinking, well, she’s gonna come back a year older.“

She also expressed her feelings about being compared to her father, Ric Flair. This may be because he announced in September that he and his fifth wife, Wendy Barlow, were splitting.

Charlotte Flair Bounces Back in WWE: Dominance, Wardrobe Malfunctions, and Championship Ambitions

Since nursing her injuries, the athlete returned to WWE in January 2025 at the Royal Rumble and is back to her dominating ways. Even though she is more of a singles match wrestler, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss are at the top of the food chain in the women’s division after they won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. Charlot Flair is also preparing to challenge for the WWE Women’s Championship against Jade Cargill after a recent face-off on SmackDown.

On a lighter note, Charlotte Flair recently reacted to a wardrobe malfunction.

After the accidental slip made it into the November 7 episode, when she faced off against Nia Jax at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, Flair joked that she would be covering up far more in future episodes.

Replying to someone who asked if she had a “wardrobe malfunction,” she wrote on X:

“I’m going to start wrestling in the robes 🥴.”