Sasha Banks will challenge Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at SummerSlam.
The former champion returned on the July 30th episode of SmackDown at first to come to the aid of her rival. However, after the pair defeated Carmella and Zelina Vega in the main event, Banks turned on her partner, hitting her with a Backstabber before leaving the champion laying.
On the most recent episode of the blue brand, Banks opened the show to address the champion. The Boss said that she had returned to reclaim her spotlight, adding that Belair would be nothing without her.
This brought the champion to the ring who refused to be intimidated by her latest challenger. Belair said that it was Banks who had begged her for the match at WrestleMania. As the pair continued to go back and forth, Zelina Vega came to the ring to remind Belair that she had accepted her challenge the previous week.
This led to a match between Belair and Vega later in the show.
.@BiancaBelairWWE tells @SashaBanksWWE that if she wants the title, it’s on! #SmackDownpic.twitter.com/Ww2HELiGUc
— WWE (@WWE) August 7, 2021
Sasha Banks hadn’t appeared inside a WWE ring back in the main event of night one of WrestleMania 37. On that occasion, the long-reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion was defeated by Bianca Belair.
With Banks out of the picture, Belair repeatedly clashed with Bayley, latterly overcoming her rival inside Hell In A Cell. After Bayley suffered a serious knee injury, the champion gained a new challenger in the form of Carmella. However, Belair was again victorious.