Sasha Banks Will Be Key to Advancement of WWE Divas Division

Every movement needs a leader, and every revived franchise needs a centerpiece, and should WWE commit to making its Divas division a proper showcase of women's wrestling, it has the ideal person to fill that role: Sasha Banks.

Much of what is required to make that jump depends on WWE's changing its mindset. The company will have to start divvying up airtime much differently, come up with more involved stories for the women and move away from the idea that the roster's females are eye candy meant to fill in gaps between the real meat of the program. In addition, WWE will need a foundation on which to build.

Banks can be exactly that. She's a highly entertaining, superbly talented wrestler who is capable of spearheading real change in the women's division.

Her work at NXT is a glimpse into a bright future for both her and WWE's women in general. With her as the developmental brand's top champion, women's matches are as anticipated as the marquee ones involving men. With her as NXT royalty, the conversation about women having more meaningful roles at WWE is gaining momentum.

Credit: WWE.com

Credit Charlotte and Paige before her for being among those to light the first fires. Banks, though, is now fanning those flames, churning them into an inferno WWE can't afford to ignore.

At one time, it was hard to list five recent standout women's wrestling bouts. Banks has made that task much easier, rattling off three instant classics from December to May:

• Banks vs. Charlotte—NXT, Dec. 12, 2014
• Banks vs. Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Bayley—NXT TakeOver: Rival
• Banks vs. Lynch—NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable

Her latest major match, a grueling win over Lynch, was a tour de force. Hype for the match was on a main event level. The action resided there as well. It was the kind of wrestling match that forces fans to cringe, gasp and cheer in succession.

As retired wrestler RJ Singh points out, this wasn't simply good by women's standards:

This wasn't Banks' peak, either; this was a preview of what she could do if moved to the main roster, provided that WWE shifts its approach to booking women.

As excellent as Charlotte, Natalya and Paige are, Banks is the best female performer on either the WWE or NXT stage right now. Her ring work is crisp. She's entertainingly vicious. Banks blends technical prowess and showmanship to create the ideal in-ring concoction.

She's Alberto Del Rio with four times the charisma. 

Her ring work is artistry. It's a major part of what will propel her to stardom, what can make her the warrior WWE leans on to revolutionize the division.

Hall of Famer Jim Ross is among those noticing her excellence:

Those skills make her the kind of special talent WWE can place on center stage. If WWE wants to wow fans with collisions between women, Banks is going to have to be a major factor.

Plug her into any matchup and it's instantly an electric one: Paige vs. Banks, Natalya vs. Banks, Nikki Bella vs. Banks. All of these promise to be of the draw-the-audience-in variety. And she's bound to create magic in each of those matches and more.

So far, she's shown the Shawn Michaels-like quality of bringing out her opponent's best. Lynch's opus came against Banks. So many of Charlotte's greatest hits include The Boss.

Even when working against a raw prospect like Alexa Bliss, she's shown that she can produce a quality show.

This talent will make it easier for WWE to build a legitimate women's division. She expands the company's options for top feuds. She assures WWE a high-quality bout on each major show.

Officials at the NXT level have realized that Banks is division-foundation material. In addition to awarding her the NXT Women's Championship, they have asked to her main event a house show in Philly and to be a consistently prominent part of NXT each week.

Building a much-improved women's division will take more than one woman, of course. WWE has plenty of other talent capable of elevating it. The writing team will have to afford the women more time and more narratives. Vince McMahon and Company will also have to adopt a new philosophy about the wrestlers on the roster who happen to be female.

This construction process is not going to be easy or short. But in Banks, WWE does have the foundation on which to start building.