Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: WWE Is Making a Mistake by Not Showcasing Sasha Banks

1. The Right Recipe Includes More Sasha Banks 

Near the top of the WWE writing's team's list of priorities, there needs to be these five words: Find something for Sasha Banks.

WWE can't have a wrestler that great and let her watch the action from behind the curtain. It can't keeping scripting three hours of Raw without her. It can't keep ignoring the echoing "We want Sasha!" chants than fill the arena each time another set of women go to battle instead of her.

Credit: WWE.com

There are a large number of wrestlers many fans would classify as "underused." But much of that collection of benchwarmers, from Damien Sandow to Heath Slater, are best suited for niche roles of some sort.

Banks is a potential cornerstone, a once-in-a-generation talent, a trailblazer with a stockpile of swagger. The Boss is special, and her are peers recognizing that more than WWE itself right now.

On the TJR Wrestling podcast, former WWE women's champ and TNA Knockouts titleholder Mickie James said of Banks, "She's awesome. I think she's a star. She's got it. She can walk, she can talk, she can work; she's really good."

Big E told Sports Illustrated's Extra Mustard that if The New Day were to add a fourth member, he would want it to be Banks. He said, "She's probably my favorite wrestler on the planet right now." 

Kurt Angle had high praise for her, too:

The WWE decision-makers aren't making it clear that they feel the same way.  

Banks did not wrestle at Hell in a Cell or the Raw afterward. She missed out on the Night of Champions card. And beyond just the many times she hasn't made it into the ring on Raw or SmackDown, there's no clear narrative in front of her.

Charlotte's fending off foes as the new Divas champ is clearly the main focus of the division, but there's still room for another story, one of Banks earning her way to the No. 1 contender's spot to get her chance to knock off Charlotte.

Banks vs. Charlotte is the division's money feud in waiting.

They thrived against each other at NXT, and main evented a show in Philadelphia, and both represent the change that's unfolding within WWE women's wrestling right now.

To lead to their eventual clash on the main roster, WWE can't just have Banks enter the picture with zero momentum down the road. It should build her up now, as Charlotte looks stronger and stronger as champ. Banks should beat down Alicia Fox and Becky Lynch, then grow frustrated that her growing winning streak isn't netting her a title shot.

WWE just needs to make sure to put her in the ring more.

Banks' in-ring production begs for her to be more active. Her resume is proof that she will produce top-notch work between the ropes and continue to build on the increasing interest in women's wrestling.

She and Bayley composed two bona fide Match of the Year candidates for NXT. When WWE.com compiled the 10 best Divas matches ever, Banks' name appeared four times. She continues to raise the bar for the women's division, outdoing herself in each big match.

But her successes have mostly come at NXT. On the main roster, she's been asked to step aside and wait her turn. 

That's the wrong move. WWE has to find space on the stage for Banks.

2. The Quickness of Change 

Although Alberto Del Rio was only gone for just over a year, he's entering a much different WWE. Comparing what the roster looked like when WWE released him last August to what is today is a reminder of how fluid the WWE world is.

Before his surprise return at Hell in a Cell, his last WWE match came back in early August of 2014.

Back then, Rob Van Dam was still around. AJ Lee was still Divas champ and still held the record as the longest-reigning Divas champ ever. Chris Jericho was a regular. So was Goldust.

Jack Swagger was with Del Rio's current manager, Zeb Colter, and still relevant. Damien Sandow was still Mizdow and would soon become the hottest act the company had going.

The Divas Revolution had not yet happened. Sting had yet to debut. SmackDown still aired on Fridays.

The WWE landscape now surrounding Del Rio has replaced many of those faces with new ones: Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Neville, Kevin Owens, Becky Lynch, Tyler Breeze, Braun Strowman, Dudley Boyz, Kalisto. 

That shift is further proof of just how temporary things are in the wrestling world and how much one's story can transform in just a few pages. Sandow went from being celebrated to forgotten in that span. Owens went from wrestling Jerry Lawler in front of 1,200 people to holding the Intercontinental Championship.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Carlos Colon vs. Abdullah the Butcher

Undertaker and Brock Lesnar's bloody Hell in a Cell bout was a callback to a time when bloodshed was a much more common tool for telling stories inside the ring.

Abdullah the Butcher's career is evidence of both how powerful and how dangerous that tool is. In Puerto Rico in 1986, he and another squared-circle sadist wowed the crowd with a brutal battle that left blood pooling in Abby's famous forehead scars.

Blood splattered on the camera. The monster got his due. And the crowd ate it up.

But before one starts pining for more red-stained wrestling mats, remember that one of the Butcher's opponents, Hannibal, won a lawsuit based on the WWE Hall of Famer's giving him hepatitis C, as CBC News reported last year.

4. Trading a Helmet for Wrestling Boots

Brennan Williams wants to follow an NFL career with one inside the ring. The former lineman for the Houston Texans and New England Patriots is in the midst of a new kind of training camp.

Doug Kyed reported for NESN that after his release, Williams will now pursue a career in wrestling.

Booker T told TMZ that he'll be helping Williams live out his dream. He said, "Most of the time with NFL players, wrestling is a sort of last resort, but Brennan was actually a fan before anything."

5. PPV Wins Leaders

In some ways, 2015 has been the year of Seth Rollins. WWE has certainly had him lose an inordinate amount of non-title matches and turned up the volume on the cowardly part of his character, but he still has more pay-per-view wins than anyone else this year.

Rollins is in the top spot in total victories from PPVs and special WWE Network events like King of the Ring and Beast in the East (not counting pre-shows):

• Seth Rollins (8)
• Nikki Bella (7)
• John Cena (7)
• Big E (5)
• Kofi Kingston (5)
• Neville (5)
• Roman Reigns (5)
• Charlotte (4)
• Brock Lesnar (4)
• Dolph Ziggler (4)

Some other surprising numbers pop out, too.

Many perceive Neville as being booked as a low-rung star and perennial loser. He's got just as many PPV wins as Reigns. Of course, Reigns' bouts have been more high-profile and significant, but still, it's clear that Neville isn't getting "buried."

And this is one of the rare times that Ziggler and Lesnar will be tied for anything.

6. Jay Lethal Killing it at Ring of Honor

NXT prospects would be wise to check out what the ROH champ has been doing. His mic work continues to get better. 

This promo before his title bout with Roderick Strong is a clinic in how to carry oneself:

He comes off like he truly is the braggart that he plays. There is a welcome old-school flair to the speech as well, reminiscent of the kind of trash-talking Tully Blanchard once did.

7. The Game Was Right About Alexa Bliss 

It seemed misguided last October when, according to PWInsider (h/t Wrestle Zone), Triple H believed Bliss to be the kind of talent the company could build around. Back then, she was just a smiley sprite who was painfully raw in the ring.  

She didn't look anywhere near as promising as Bayley, Sasha Banks or Charlotte.

Fast-forward a year, and Triple H appears to have been on the money. Bliss has grown tremendously in recent months, outshining Blake and Murphy and becoming one of the most compelling and convincing heels on the roster.

She has transformed from bubbly babyface to snarling villain in impressive fashion. Bliss is on a collision course with Bayley, a showdown sure to be a showcase of the challenger's ongoing evolution.

To anyone who doubted The Game's evaluation of Bliss' potential, he has every right to say, "I told you so."

8. Breeze's Best

Prince Pretty is now a member of the main roster. He made Dolph Ziggler his first victim, attacking him on SmackDown last week.

For those not familiar with Breeze, these recommended bouts serve as primers for what to expect from him going forward: 

• Tyler Breeze vs. Sami Zayn: NXT TakeOver
• Tyler Breeze vs. Adrian Neville: NXT, Aug. 14, 2014
• Tyler Breeze vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Adrian Neville: NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way
• Tyler Breeze vs. Finn Balor: NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable
• Tyler Breeze vs. Apollo Crews: NXT TakeOver: Respect

He has no one-on-one classics just yet but has produced some strong work. It looks as if he's in need of top-tier performers to lead the way. It's good news then that his first rival on WWE proper is The Showoff.

9. Legends Not the Answer 

Having big names from the past front-and-center is clearly not the path to Raw gaining steam again.

Last week's show trotted out Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Ric Flair, Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. Then after Hell in a Cell, WWE had none of those stars in tow, and no Randy Orton or John Cena on top of that.

It didn't matter. The numbers went up.

As Pro Wrestling Torch's James Caldwell noted, this Monday's Raw saw an increase from a 2.21 rating to 2.46. 

That's still not anywhere near an ideal rating, but it's a sign that the nostalgia crutch isn't exactly effective. WWE might as well put emerging stars in the forefront and be patient, as they pull a bigger audience in on their own.

10. Paul Heyman on the Women's Division

The WWE women's division certainly has a high-profile advocate in Heyman. He spoke with Denny Burkholder of CBS Sports about the potential of the company's female performers: "I think the women have an opportunity just in the next year or so to become bona fide, first-time-ever pay-per-view main eventers in WWE."

When a fan tweeted that quote, Heyman added some additional thoughts:

Heyman is right (although his inclusion of Brie Bella is generous). And WWE would be smart to listen to him. Remember that this is the same man who saw main event potential in Eddie Guerrero, Edge and Kurt Angle.

Match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.