Last week, my personal pick for the distinction of Wrestler of the Year was All Elite Wrestling‘s AEW Women’s World Champion, Britt Baker. The year she has had – as well as the popularity gained – has been nothing short of remarkable and she fully deserves to be celebrated for drawing so much attention to women’s wrestling in 2021. However, there is another person equally as deserving of such acclaim and that is Sports Wrestling Illustrated‘s number one pick at the top of their annual Women’s 150, Bianca Belair. Though things have been slightly more murky since her shocking and polarizing defeat (in mere seconds) at the hands of Becky Lynch at SummerSlam 2021, the success Belair has enjoyed; the attention she has brought to WWE’s own female talent and her trailblazing reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion – a highlight of WWE programming this year – have all made for one triumphant success story in the EST from Tennessee. One moment, though, stands proudly above them all: her headlining, groundbreaking and inspiring performance at WrestleMania 37 Night 1. Sasha Banks must also be commended for her work as the conniving, veteran heel to the somewhat naive, talented rookie babyface that was Bianca Belair. The two worked brilliantly together to not only put each other over in their respective roles, but to create a moment which will be forever remembered in pro wrestling folklore and, hopefully, as a game-changing moment.
WrestleMania 37: Bianca Belair & Sasha Banks Headline Night 1
Though a women’s match had headlined a WrestleMania once before – with Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch having made history at WrestleMania 35 – this was the first time a women’s singles match had done so. Additionally, this was the first time two African American women had faced off at WrestleMania; so when coupled with the added bonus of the match being the closing match of the first night, this match was more than just a match – it was a truly heartwarming, (happy) tear inducing moment of history which will hopefully spur many more. It made national and international news not just for how long overdue and groundbreaking the concept of this match was – but for how great the match was. Make no mistake: this match will stand the test of time as one of the truly great WrestleMania performances. The work of Bianca Belair – as the super talented, athletically gifted babyface, and Sasha Banks as the never disappointing, arguable best-of-all-time veteran coupled well to create a truly magical spectacle. Earlier in that same night, Cesaro and Seth Rollins had one of the best matches in WrestleMania history themselves and yet, despite how great that match was, it will (quite sadly but understandably) be largely forgotten simply because of the match that headlined that same night.
For Sasha Banks, this match was the WrestleMania moment she has long deserved. One of the long-time best wrestlers in the world (of any gender) and one of the most significant performers of the 2010s, her work has long deserved a moment of this caliber and – just like fellow Horsewomen Charlotte Flair and Beck Lynch (and hopefully Bayley one day) – she deserved to headline WrestleMania. For Bianca Belair, this was the moment to become one of the WWE’s most popular stars. Though initially known as the cocky, “green” heel with untapped potential in NXT, she has since come into her own as the universally beloved babyface of the main roster and her potential, though not fully realized in 2021, has been explored further. Now all wrestling commentators should be (if they’re not already) aware of her clear talent and her ever-developing wrestling arsenal. The WrestleMania 37 match with Sasha Banks will stand the test of time not only as a star-making moment for Belair and a long-overdue reward for Banks’ work, but as a spectacle; a wake-up call to anyone who would doubt any of the talent or drawing potential of African American women in the WWE or any sport.
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