How WWE Can Ride Sasha Banks' Return to Revive Stagnant Women's Division

Sasha Banks' return to WWE TV is just the injection of adrenaline the women's division needed, but the revitalization process can't end there.

The Boss is the ideal centerpiece for the division, a top-flight performer capable of ensnaring the audience's attention during her chase to become champion. Her presence generates instant momentum.

To build on that, though, WWE must avoid the same pitfalls it has met in the past.

Banks returned on Monday's Raw after not wrestling on the show since April. She stared down and chased off the women's champion, Charlotte.

The energy in the building turned electric. Fans buzzed about seeing Banks once more. But those fans are fully aware how quickly that kind of buzz fades.

Nearly a year after WWE's promise of major change in the women's division with what it called the Divas Revolution, things don't look nearly different enough.

Yes, WWE abandoned the term "Diva" and replaced the butterfly-shaped kids toy that was being called a title belt with a proper championship strap, but neglectful booking and imbalance still plague the company's women.

We are fresh off a Money in the Bank pay-per-view that featured a barely hyped women's tag team match that was the shortest contest on the card, not counting Dean Ambrose's cashing in on Seth Rollins, per ProFightDB.com.

And as noted by CageMatch.net, Raw featured its women in the ring for just two minutes and 30 seconds on June 13, and not at all on June 6.

There is a shortage of feuds outside the title picture. There are too many women just sitting around with no storylines. This is eerily similar to where the division was when fans' frustrations boiled over last year.

Turning things around begins with Banks.

The Showdown Fans Have Pined For

As fun as Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte was and how well Natalya performed in her own feud with the champ, WWE fans have been hungry to see something else: Banks vs. Charlotte.

It's the money matchup waiting to happen, the obvious direction to take the division.  

Banks and Charlotte collided often when they were both at NXT. Their chemistry made for engaging bouts each time. Their history as allies added depth to their narrative.

WWE was so confident in this rivalry that it placed both women in the main event slot during NXT's first trip to Philadelphia.

The rivals have since taken their bad blood to the main roster, where they have clashed as part of a Triple Threat match at this year's WrestleMania. The quality of that bout and how much the buildup hooked fans is evidence that WWE needs to further this, to have Banks and Charlotte go one-on-one several times over.

But WWE must treat this like the major event it can be.

Just as NXT went full-tilt with its promotion of Bayley vs. Banks I and II, WWE needs to build up Banks vs. Charlotte with a contract signing, hype video and all the trimmings the big men's bouts get.

WWE should give them plenty of time in the ring, as it did at WrestleMania, have them end their rivalry in a steel cage and allow them to main event a PPV.

That historic feat would be a clear signal that the company is taking the division seriously and would make Banks vs. Charlotte far more significant.

And as Zach Dominello of F4WOnline.com wrote, "With the right wrestlers and a solid build, there is absolutely no reason two female 'Superstars' can't headline a WWE pay-per-view in 2016. And right now, those two look to be Charlotte and Sasha Banks."

The Boss' Rise

Before that battle, WWE has some catching up to do. While Charlotte was defending the title against Natalya or tangling with Paige, Banks was sitting at home. The Boss had no narrative to launch her forward, no means to further her connection with fans.

Between now and SummerSlam, WWE has to focus on telling Banks' story to stir up the audience's passion for her.

It should showcase her climb to contention, not just give her a Women's Championship opportunity but have her earn it by besting Dana Brooke, dominating Summer Rae and winning a friendly No. 1 Contender's match with Paige.

Banks must stay away from tag team matches with little to no stakes and instead fight her way up the ranks.

Credit: WWE.com

That will help engage fans for her eventual clashes with Charlotte. That will help make The Boss a star. She can and should be the heart of the division.

Jason Hall of Today's Knockout wrote, "Banks has the look, in-ring ability and mic skills to carry the Women's Division as its top babyface, which WWE hasn't allowed anyone else to do in her absence."

And during that process, WWE can't forget about the rest of the division. Banks can be a spark plug, but she can't be a savior by herself.

Beyond the Title Picture

WWE's main goal with the women's division should be a marquee with Banks' and Charlotte's names on it, following a well-told story of the former earning a spot on the mountaintop. But there is work to be done elsewhere.

A deeper, more balanced division will not only keep fans interested right now but also give Charlotte and Banks better foils down the road.

WWE is making a smart move in that direction by having Lynch and Natalya lock horns. The former friends now have their hands on each other's throats thanks to Natalya attacking her tag team partner at Money in the Bank.

Making sure to sustain this story will help Lynch make her mark in the division. Should she sit on the sideline in the coming months like Banks has done, WWE will have to reignite her fire from scratch when it's ready to showcase her again.

That's a pattern that has been repeated too often.

And when Banks, Lynch, Charlotte and the other women step in the ring, WWE has to stop cutting their matches short. Giving the women three minutes to work with each night makes it impossible for any story to catch fire or any star to shoot skyward.

Not even The Boss can revive a division that is limited to bouts that run just long enough for fans to grab a snack from the fridge.