Just as SummerSlam went on the air, Raj Giri of Wrestlinginc.com broke the news that Sasha Banks will not appear at the show. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select also offered that he heard speculation earlier in the afternoon over whether or not “The Boss” would appear on the show.
Once match time came, ring announcer Greg Hamilton announced that Banks was “unable to compete” and Carmella would be her replacement for the highly anticipated Smackdown Women’s Championship match against Bianca Belair. But then, the Allegiant Stadium crowd was hit with the surprise return of Becky Lynch, who dispatched of Carmella and inserted herself in the match.
Lynch then squashed Belair in the middle of the ring.
The whole Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair match. New champion! pic.twitter.com/SarpX5cbIE #WWE #Smackdown
— NoDQ.com: #WWE #Summerslam news (@nodqdotcom) August 22, 2021
Exclusive! I can confirm that Sasha Banks is off #SummerSlam tonight @WrestlingINC
— Raj Giri (@RajGiri_303) August 22, 2021
As of this afternoon, I was told there were still major question marks about the Smackdown Women's Title match to many backstage. @RajGiri_303 has reported Sasha Banks is off tonight's show
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) August 22, 2021
The loss of Banks for any long-term reason would not be great for the WWE, as she’s one of the most popular stars in the company. Let’s hope she’s ok, because Becky Two Belts and The Boss make for one of the most dynamic pairings in all of sports entertainment.