Sasha Banks Talks Studying MMA After Being Turned Away From Wrestling School, Snoop Dogg, More
Recently on The Wrestling Compadres Slamcast, WWE's Sasha Banks addressed a number of topics including breaking into the professional wrestling business, growing up as legendary rapper Snoop Dogg's cousin, and how the Divas Revolution started.
According to Banks, she tried to go to wrestling school when she was 12 years old, but she was turned away due to her age. At 16, 'The Boss' studied MMA and then she attended wrestling school at 18 years old.
"I am 24 [years old]. This has been a dream of mine since I was 10. 14 years later, I'm here. Yeah, but ever since I was 10, this has been my dream. I remember when I was 12, I emailed so many wrestling schools all over: Canada, New Jersey, California. Now, at the time, I was living in, like, Iowa or Minnesota and they're all like, 'no, not till you're 18' [or] 'not till you're 16', so I joined MMA school getting ready for it because I watched an RVD DVD." Banks continued, "I watched an RVD DVD and I was like, 'I want to be like him', so then I turned 18 and joined a wrestling school. Two years later, I got signed [by WWE] and here I am now, guys."
Banks claimed that growing up, she would only see her cousin, Snoop Dogg, when he would take her to professional wrestling shows.
"I used that card, 'hey, can I come with you? I love wrestling.' So that's the only time [I would see him]." Banks added, "but it's just crazy how life, it legit comes full circle. Everything just seems to fall into place. Here we are. I haven't even been on the main roster for a full year and things are happening so fast, but it [has] been incredible."
As for the Divas Revolution, Banks said that the movement was started with Emma versus Paige at NXT's first live special, NXT Arrival.
"I mean, it started with Emma and Paige, their [NXT Arrival] match and I watched that in the back and I was like, 'that was great, but I can do better, so just give me the opportunity because I can do better.' And just taking every opportunity that we had from the fatal fourway, from my match with Charlotte, to Becky, Bayley, and just making it more every single time and having fans talk about the women and people buying tickets to see the women and we're really taking over and it's so exciting to be a part of it right now."
Click here to check out the podcast. If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit The Wrestling Compadres Slamcast with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Source: The Wrestling Compadres Slamcast