Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair Is WWE's Top Feud of the Year Entering Roadblock
When Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair take to the squared circle for their 30-minute Iron Man match at Roadblock: End of the Line, they will culminate the most intensely personal and lengthy rivalry of 2016.
Their war is also the year's best—a competitive rivalry over the top prize in their division and a reminder that old-school stories work for any gender and in any generation.
It is a rivalry that has encapsulated pro wrestling since January and has fans anxiously anticipating matches between the two, a rarity in WWE since the days of Trish Stratus and Lita's legendary feud.
What made the rivalry so engrossing, why is it the best of 2016 and how can it progress without becoming stale?
Established Differences
The rivalry between Banks and Flair predates their arrivals on the main roster.
As strange as it may sound, Banks and Flair were once close allies. They were teammates alongside Summer Rae, their trio wreaking havoc on popular babyfaces like Bayley and Paige. Unfortunately, ego got in the way once Flair captured the NXT Championship, and Banks divorced herself from the second-generation competitor.
No longer friends, The Boss began setting her sights on the top prize in the developmental brand.
Flair's reign atop the female roster in NXT came to a screeching halt when she was defeated by Banks in a Fatal 4-Way match. The Boss' title reign created a star out of her and allowed her to reach greater heights than she had prior.
She brought credibility to the title, each of her performances creating a big-fight feel that Flair's never quite achieved.
Main Roster
The most interesting element of Banks and Flair's rivalry on the main roster, which began in January at the Royal Rumble, has been its longevity.
WWE Creative and the workers themselves have done enough to advance the program and enhance the story.
Ric Flair's interference at WrestleMania propelled the story forward, giving Banks a reason to continue chasing The Queen's title. That WWE shoved Banks to the background immediately after The Showcase of the Immortals was, at the time, a mistake, but in hindsight, it was a clever booking tool.
Banks was kept fresh, and as a result, there was greater anticipation for the eventual showdown between the two.
By putting the focus on the Superstars' unquenchable thirsts for championship gold rather than the melodramatic angles and stories that plague WWE programming elsewhere, the title itself was elevated in importance. Even the switching of the title from August through November has helped the feud, adding importance to every match they compete in.
Now, fans must watch every championship bout out of fear that they will miss some enthralling championship change. The Nov. 30 episode of Raw drew the second-biggest audience since the start of the NFL season—proof of fans' investment in the program.
The unpredictability, the steadily escalating intensity and the numerous gimmick matches the company has concocted have helped it rise above AJ Styles vs. John Cena, Raw vs. SmackDown and Chris Jericho vs. stupid idiots and become the top feud of 2016.
Looking Forward
At Roadblock, Flair will look to avenge her most recent championship defeat as she battles Banks in a 30-minute Iron Man match. The contest should serve as the conclusion to the program—at least for the time being.
If the feud continues into the new year, it risks staleness. The last thing WWE can afford is to waste either woman because of its inability to prepare anyone else beyond them.
Separating the two, allowing fans to redirect their attention elsewhere and then eventually rebuilding their feud on the foundation that has already been laid are the right steps to take. Otherwise, no rapid-fire title changes or plethora of gimmick matches will make up for the fatigue they feel.
