Report: WWE Knew 8 Days In Advance That Sasha Banks Wasn't Wrestling At SummerSlam
Becky Lynch returned in her place
WWE reportedly knew eight days ahead of SummerSlam that Sasha Banks wasn't going to be wrestling at the event, according to Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer tweeted this during SummerSlam itself, and reiterated it on Wrestling Observer Radio after the pay-per-view.
"It happened because Sasha Banks wasn't going to be ready and they felt that they needed something to quell the audience," Meltzer said on WOR. "They've known for eight days that Sasha Banks wasn't going to be there."
Banks was supposed to challenge Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women's title. She was ultimately replaced by a returning Becky Lynch, who went on to defeat Belair in under 30 seconds to win the belt.
Matches between Banks and Belair were pulled from last weekend's house show loop, with no explanation given. WWE continued to advertise their SummerSlam match throughout the week.
After a sabbatical of over three months, Banks returned to WWE at the end of July to set up her SummerSlam match with Belair. Banks had dropped the SmackDown Women's title to Belair at WrestleMania 37 on April 10.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
