WWE Knew About Sasha Banks' SummerSlam 2021 Absence 8 Days Ago!
Because 'card subject to change', pal.
While many of us were hugely looking forward to Sasha Banks challenging WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Bianca Belair last night in a WrestleMania 37 rematch, that obviously didn't come to pass.
As the E.S.T. stood waiting in the ring, it was announced that Banks would not be in action, with Carmella initially revealed as Sasha's announcement, before Becky Lynch then made her shocking return and squashed Belair in a matter of seconds.
According to Dave Meltzer on today's Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE reportedly knew about Banks' SummerSlam absence eight days ago.
Of course, WWE so often has the 'card subject to change' line in their back pockets, but if Meltzer is correct then it's hugely disappointing to see WWE heavily advertising Belair vs. Banks across the past eight days - not least through the SummerSlam pre-show and then during the PPV itself.
Meltzer also adds that Becky Lynch was brought back to in-ring action sooner than originally intended, and he's not sure whether WWE possibly thought that Lynch wasn't ready for a full match at this stage... which would partly explain why her 'match' against Belair was so ridiculously brief.
There's no word as of yet on why Sasha Banks missed SummerSlam, although she had previously missed two live events and Friday's SmackDown in the lead-in to WWE's annual August spectacular.