10 Things You Didn't Know About Sasha Banks

2. Snoop Dogg Is Her Cousin

Sasha Banks
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Sasha Banks real name is Mercedes Kaestner-Varnado, which is certainly quite the tongue twister. It's not uncommon for WWE to change someone's name to a fictional one after signing them, because this means the promotion owns the copyright on that fresh moniker, useful for merchandise purposes.

Her birth name explains her indie name, 'Mercedes KV', but Banks once caught up with someone who wasn't a victim of the name-changing game, John Cena, for a quick photo op before signing with the company. The whole thing came about because Banks real-life cousin is rapper Snoop Dogg, someone who has appeared on WWE TV a few times himself.

During interviews, Sasha Banks has said she repeatedly tries to get Snoop to record her a song she can use for her entrance music, but the rap star is understandably busy. Maybe now she's on the main roster, WWE officials can work something out with the musician, because it'd certainly be a nice touch if his little cousin had a recognisable voice to sing her tune before and after matches.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.