10 Biggest WWE Developmental Success Stories

6. Sasha Banks

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Sasha Banks cut her teeth on the North East independent scene, but became 'The Boss' in NXT. Her character development between her 2012 NXT debut and 2015 main roster arrival was some of the finest work of the Full Sail era, as Banks crafted one of the best full-blooded heel personas in years.

Alongside this, she helped pioneer a more contemporary style for WWE women's wrestling that has thankfully now become the norm on a weekly basis.

Whilst the big stage was still home to 'Divas', Sasha and her colleagues were tearing it up on a weekly basis in a quest to win the developmental brand's Women's Title.

It was a clear distinction made with good reason when one viewed matches side by side. Amongst other plaudits, NXT live specials and TakeOver shows continuously raised the bar for women's wrestling, proffering the 'Greatest Ever WWE Women's Match' every quarter in a delicious game of can-you-top-this.

Banks was integral to the division's 2015 peak, via some outstanding contests with Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte and especially Bayley. Their TakeOver: Brooklyn encounter was match of the year for many, whilst their overall story positioned the 'Hugger' on the best possible platform as the only remaining 'Horsewoman'.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett