Arn Anderson Details His First Impressions Of Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, And Charlotte

In a recent episode of the ARN Podcast, Arn Anderson discussed how NXT was treating the female talent different than the main roster in 2015. This was around the time when Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks were being called up to the main roster.

Anderson recalls traveling down to NXT, and after seeing all three women perform, he knew they could have bright futures in WWE.

"When I saw Ashley/Charlotte, and I saw Sasha, and I saw Becky, and I went down to the school NXT and I watched those ladies perform a couple of times, then I went down there. I went, 'Okay, you got something here'." Anderson said. "This is at a different level of work-wise. You know, whoever is teaching them needs to be patted on the butt, and those talents need to be patted on the butt, because they were [going] from being able to wrestle and tell a story
to have their offense be solid, and their selling is good, and they take good bumps and do innovative stuff."

Anderson says that with the right opportunities on the main roster, all three could be huge superstars.

"They were at a different level and I knew they were going to make an impact if given a chance." Anderson said.

Anderson went on to further discuss the difference in what NXT was doing with the women as opposed to their role once they were called up to the main roster.

"Didn't they beat Charlotte for her debut match on RAW?" Anderson recalled. "Okay, what does that tell you about the idiot choices that are made where talent is very crystal clear,. Our audience is very smart. They do their homework when you have a debut of a talent. If they've been anywhere, done anything, been on any television, been in any place that social media goes, our audience know who they are before they come to the curtain. And certainly, Charlotte Flair couldn't go anywhere in the civilized world without people knowing who she is."

Anderson said the decision to beat Charlotte in her debut match was the wrong call to make.

"To beat her on her debut, our audience would look at that and go, 'Okay well, she must not be a star like her dad' She failed her first match." Anderson explained. "That's not good. I don't give a s–t what anybody says. People say wins and losses don't matter. When you debut and you get beat in your first match, when you have a lineage and heritage like that... Name me one person, and I mean just one, who lost their way into getting over."

Anderson went on to further praise Charlotte, saying she is one of the best talents in the business.

"She is a tremendous talent, as good as anyone out there on the female roster of any company." Anderson said of Charlotte. "You know and you can argue the point that she is the best. There are probably three or four girls you could argue which one is the best, but she's damn good. And she is a hard worker, and she is into her character and into her presence and what she brings to the table. And to be the face of the company where she's trying to get [to the top], she does all the right things."

Charlotte recently had surgery to fix a lingering issue with her breast implants. This has kept her off WWE TV since June.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit ARN Podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Mehdy Labriny contributed to this article.