Bianca Belair has admitted that she wasn’t able to “live up to her full potential” during her run with the SmackDown Women’s Title.
Bianca Belair battled Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37. After dethroning the champ, she would go on to have a nearly 5-month reign with the title before losing it unceremoniously to a returning Beck Lynch at SummerSlam.
Throughout her title reign, Belair clashed with the likes of Bayley and Carmella. It was reported that Belair would’ve defended the title against Bayley at Money In The Bank last year, but unfortunately, Bayley suffered an injury that kept her out of action for over a year.
The EST spoke to Andreas Hale and Kel Dansby on the Corner Podcast about being frustrated with how Bayley’s injury caused plans revolving around her title reign to change. Belair admitted she didn’t feel like she had reached her full potential because of many unfortunate setbacks and circumstances.
“It’s difficult, and it gets frustrating for me sometimes. Even with my SmackDown Title reign, I didn’t feel I was able to live up to the full potential as SmackDown’s Women’s Champion, with how short the reign was, and also with my feuds. Bayley getting injured — I can’t wait for Bayley to comeback — Bayley getting injured, Carmella having to step in at SummerSlam.
Not being able to have these amazing matches that I could have had in my title reign and being able to go up against other great competitors to prove that I’m champion, and then it getting cut short. Fast forward, it’s like deja vu, it’s happening all over again. My competitors that I’m supposed to have, I’m not having. It gets frustrating, but I try to look at it as, I have to adapt and it’s making me a better competitor and making me stay on my toes.”
Bianca Belair rebounded after her SummerSlam loss to Lynch by defeating her at WrestleMania earlier this year to win the Raw Women’s Championship. She was supposed to defend the title against Rhea Ripley at Money In The Bank, but a reported concussion kept Ripley on the shelf. She was replaced by Carmella, who ended up losing to Belair.
The EST may have her hands full at this year’s SummerSlam. This past week on Raw, Lynch staked her claim as the next contender for the title and cost Bianca Belair a match against Carmella. Though nothing has been confirmed, a rematch between the two looks to be on the horizon.
H/t – Fightful