Sasha Banks Is Essential to WWE Raw Reaching Full Potential

WWE Raw wasn't complete without Sasha Banks.

That was apparent as The Boss sat out the past few weeks dealing with a back injury, the women's division feeling skeletal without her. It was even clearer when the former women's champion sauntered into the ring on Monday's Raw to announce her return. An electricity crackled in the air as she entered.

Raw needs megastars, and as WWE has discovered throughout the years, those are mighty hard to find.

WWE's hottest period saw The Rock, Steve Austin, Undertaker and Mick Foley all crowd the top tier. It wasn't the raunchy storylines or edgy language that pulled fans in during the Attitude Era; it was star power. 

Now as the New Era unfolds, WWE is in search of wrestlers with the kind of magnetism that those men possessed.

Seth Rollins may prove to be in that group. Kevin Owens is poised to possibly be a cornerstone for the company. And Banks needs to be in that same conversation.

WWE must place her on center stage and make her a vital part of Raw moving forward. 

The Boss has a Ronda Rousey-type appeal, is one of WWE's top in-ring performers and, even with questionable booking during her early tenure on the main roster, has made a lasting connection with fans. Monday's Raw showed off that bond.

Banks returned to announce that she is medically cleared and will battle Charlotte at Clash of Champions for the Women's Championship.

Before that revelation, she teased an early retirement. Tearful, she seemed to be issuing a farewell. She then declared that her "bad news" was meant for Charlotte, not the fans. 

Yes, it was nonsensical to take this approach with the story. Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats broke down the lack of logic behind the angle before summing up, "This was stupid."

But the segment shone a light on Banks' popularity. 

The crowd held its collective breath as she began to hint at walking away from the ring. The Internet was abuzz with worry, as Rob Wolkenbrod of Daily DDT pointed out:

Had Summer Rae teased the end of her career, fans wouldn't have reacted like that. 

The Boss, though, is special. That's been clear for some time.

Banks has outgrown the expectations audiences have long had for women's wrestling. She has broken ground as a female wrestler who is compelling enough to warrant a spot on the marquee above her male counterparts.

When she and Bayley battled over the NXT Women's Championship last year, their rivalry was the story of the developmental brand. 

It made perfect sense when those two headlined NXT TV and later main evented TakeOver: Respect. Their feud was the hottest thing the brand had going. And both women capitalized on all the added spotlight.

As seen on WWE.com, Bayley vs. Banks at TakeOver: Brooklyn won the 2015 NXT Year-End Award for Match of the Year.

Months later, when Banks, Charlotte and Becky Lynch met in the most-hyped women's match at WrestleMania ever, The Boss again came through. The Women's Championship Triple Threat bout was arguably WrestleMania 32's best.

Dave Meltzer rated the contest four stars in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t the Internet Wrestling Database) which was the second highest score of the event, outdoing both Shane McMahon vs. Undertaker and the main event between Roman Reigns and Triple H.

As Raw marches forward, Banks has to be given more opportunities of that caliber. Her talent and popularity beg for it. 

The show's lack of depth makes the reliance on The Boss more important. The brand split has led to many an exciting moment, but it was obvious Monday night just how thin the roster is now that half of WWE's Superstars are working exclusively for SmackDown.

The easy-to-forget Bo Dallas won a squash match. The Shining Stars earned a victory, too, and may soon be key players in the Raw tag team division despite getting nearly undetectable reactions. Jinder Mahal, once a bottom-feeder comedy act, is getting consistent airtime.

Raw can be compelling even with all those filler performers.

It's the top stories and stars that most matter. The Attitude Era trotted out all kinds of junk, but it's Austin and The Rock, D-Generation X and Mankind that fans most remember. Banks has to be treated like those men were.

For today's Raw to be at its best, WWE has to commit to Banks, to position her as not just as a top star in the women's division, but one of the show's most important talents overall. The Boss is sure to make the company look smart for doing so.