The Untold Truth Of Sasha Banks
Mercedes "Sasha Banks" Kaestner-Varnado hustled
her way into the world of wrestling by making
a name for herself on the independent circuit.
She eventually finessed her way into the World
Wrestling Federation (WWE) and transformed
into a superstar headlining her own pay-per-view
main event.
She has broken barriers as one of the most
thrilling performers to take the ring, striving
to become a five-time champion (as of this
writing,) and we are not the only ones who
are mesmerized by her onstage presence.
She's attracted legions of adoring fans, thanks
to her electric purple hair, her blinged-out
costumes, and her high-flying finishing moves,
such as the "bankrupt," the "bank statement,"
and the "frog splash" — an homage to her
wrestling idol, the late Eddie Guerrero.
By now, most of her fans know the basics about
her, including the fact that rapper Snoop
Dogg is her cousin, but there's much more
to learn.
From her secretive love life to how she turned
her wrestling aspirations into her dream job,
this is the untold truth of Sasha Banks.
During a candid interview on the Making Their
Way to the Ring podcast, Banks claimed her
father was abusive toward her mother, recalling
"always being scared of him" growing up.
By the time she turned 2, he had allegedly
left their family in the dust to start a new
life in Oregon.
Banks, her mother, and her autistic brother
traveled across the United States in search
of a better life.
By the time she was 11 or 12 years old, her
mom broke the news that they would be relocating
from Iowa to Oregon to be closer to her father
and try to get some support from him.
"I was like 'Help us?'
He never helped us before," Banks recalled.
"[My father is] Snoop Dogg's uncle.
He has money, a restaurant, a record label,
and he does music on the side … He's never
paid [any] child support."
"I was so miserable and I was so depressed"
in Oregon, she said.
It apparently did not take long for her mom
to realize that old habits die hard.
"Finally my mom's like, 'He's not helping
us,' so we packed our stuff, we left…"
Banks said.
A Life-Altering Decision At The Age Of 13
The family of three left Oregon and proceeded
to bounce around in search of a school suitable
for her autistic brother.
Banks told the Making Their Way to the Ring
podcast that her brother had experienced abuse
in some of his previous educational settings,
but upon arriving in Minnesota, things did
not get much better for their family.
Her mother was unemployed.
They lived in a hotel room for years, and
Banks said she was relentlessly teased at
school about her appearance.
To make matter worse, her brother's behavior
worsened due to the alleged abuse he was suffering.
When her mom finally landed a job, Banks made
a bold decision at the age of 13 to quit school
and take online courses so she could become
her brother's full-time caregiver.
"I do not know what a childhood is," she said.
"I never had my teenage years.
I never went to prom.
I never really had a boyfriend.
I knew nothing."
Because she was willing to make such a huge
sacrifice, Banks asked her mom for one thing
in return: I will do anything for this family,"
she said.
"Just give me wrestling."
Perseverance Paid Off
Banks began pursuing a wrestling career when
she was just a kid.
She told BET that she "emailed so many wrestling
schools" begging for a chance.
She finally got her break at age 17, when
she was invited to attend the New England
Pro Wrestling Academy in Boston.
When her mom landed a job in the same city,
it was the perfect opportunity for their family
to make yet another move.
"I was 17 about to turn 18.
I told my mom, 'I'm 18 now, I just signed
these papers by myself and I'm going to do
this,'" she sais.
"I was the only girl in that little tryout
fantasy camp."
Working in a male-dominated field takes a
lot of guts, and Banks was definitely up for
the challenge.
"At the time, I had no money, no nothing at
all," she said.
Banks never stopped pursuing the WWE.
"I emailed them legit every single week, asking
for work," she said.
"One day I finally got the call and they said
they were going to send me down to FCW (training
division) for a tryout."
Hard work, determination, and nagging emails
paid off!
The makings of 'The Boss'
Some of the best wrestlers made a name for
themselves with their catchy ring names or
slogans, and Banks wanted to add a memorable
nickname to her moniker, too.
She found inspiration in popular hip-hop artists.
Since her wrestling persona is centered around
bragging, boasting, and showing off massive
amounts of confidence, Banks told the Orlando
Sentinel, "I was looking at people like [Snoop],
Kanye [West] and Nicki Minaj, then somehow
the idea 'I'm the boss' clicked with me."
She told BET that being around her cousin,
Snoop Dogg, convinced her to run with her
powerful calling card.
She noticed "all his security guards and his
friends call him Boss," and decided she deserved
the same respect.
She began calling herself "The Boss," and
everyone else soon followed suit.
"I told myself, 'Once I get my opportunity,
I want to show people why I'm here to be the
best women's wrestler of all time' and that's
why I made my name," she told BET.
She hid her marriage from 'crazy' fans
Sasha Banks is very open when it comes to
talking about the struggles she faced during
her childhood, but one topic that she has
not been forthcoming about is her marriage
to former wrestler and WWE costume designer
Sarath "Kid Mikaze" Ton.
It was not until a March 2017 interview with
Making Their Way to the Ring that she finally
let the cat out of the bag.
"You are the first one I have admitted it
to.
I am married," she told the show's host, Lilian
Garcia.
"I just hide it because our fans are so crazy
sometimes."
By crazy, she's referring to some online "fans"
(aka trolls) attempting to contact her guy
via Twitter.
"If you are saying he's ugly or he should
not be with me because of this or that.
That hurts me," Banks said.
"I do not like that he reads that every day
and he's such an amazing person."
The Four Horsewomen member does not take kindly
to followers dissing her true love.
"I remember when we got married and a picture
was leaked, it was trending, and fans were
like 'What the …. Why!'
But did those guys really think they could
marry me?
Come on."
Touché.
Will Work For Food
Banks was not always making the big bucks
for her show-stopping performances in the
ring.
There was once a time when she was forced
to take whatever scraps she was offered.
During an interview with First We Feast's
Hot Ones, Banks answered a series of questions
about her life and career, and she had a thing
or two to say about "scummy promoters."
When asked what she does not miss the most
about the independent wrestling circuit, she
answered, "I do not miss getting paid $25
or getting paid by just getting a slice of
pizza," she said.
"It was legit.
Either you get pizza or a hot dog, or you
get $25.
That was it."
Those days are now in her rear-view mirror.
As of 2018, this boss was no longer trading
pizza for suplexes, reportedly raked in a
salary of $225,000 a year.
Cha-ching!
Taking 'a beating' gives her life
Like most kids, Banks initially assumed she'd
grow up and have a typical job.
You know, like a doctor or a firefighter.
But all that changed at the age of 10 when
she was channel surfing and came across a
wrestling show on the tube.
"There was something about it that made me
instantly hooked," she told the NZ Herald.
Of course, those closest to her were not pleased
with her newfound career goal, especially
her mother.
"She said 'What did I do wrong'?"
Banks recalled.
Her grandmother was even less supportive:
"You Wanna Get Beat Up For A Living?"
We are sure glad Banks did not let anything
stand in her way.
In 2016, she and rival Charlotte Flair became
the first women to compete in a Hell in a
Cell pay-per-view match, and in 2015, Banks
became the first woman to win the Pro Wrestling
Illustrated Feud of the Year when she bested
Bayley.
Not bad.
Not bad at all.
"There is something about taking a beating
and giving someone a beating that is so much
fun," Banks said.
"It's acting, being an athlete, being a superstar."
How's that for a triple threat?
It's all fun and games until the dessert cart
rolls around
To be a professional wrestler means being
on point at all times.
Not only do wrestlers need to build up their
stamina and endurance so they do not conk
out in the middle of a match, but they also
have to make sure their bodies look flawless
when they are piledriving their opponents.
To keep a toned physique, Banks told Muscle
and Fitness that she does 90-minute gym sessions,
which consist of a mixture of cardio and strength
training.
"It's hard to get to the gym when we are on
the road so much," she said.
"But it's so important that I make the time
to keep up with it."
Hitting the gym hard is only half the battle.
What she consumes also plays a huge role in
helping maintain her washboard abs.
During an episode of First We Feast's Hot
Ones, Banks described the type of food that's
generally served backstage at the WWE: "There
is a little salad bar and we have our plain
chicken, and that's what I pretty much have
every week on Monday Night Raw," she said.
"I just stare at the dessert and just hope
one day that I can have a bite."
It Gets Real In The Ring, But Wine Fixes Everything
Some people like to dismiss wrestling as nothing
more than a fake sport with a bunch of beefed-up,
cheesy actors.
Sure, there's a bit of drama that goes on
in the ring to bring the storylines to life,
but surprises do occur, and that's when things
get really real.
Banks 2016 Iron Man matchup against competitor
Charlotte Flair reportedly lasted a grueling
45 minutes.
Not only was Banks struggling to push through
it, but she ended up with a gnarly injury
to boot.
Viewers were shocked to see blood gushing
out of Bank's nose after the back of Flair's
leg collided with The Boss' face.
"I was just like dead because she broke my
nose during it.
I was just bleeding.
I'm like, 'Oh my god, can this be over?'"
Banks revealed on First We Feast's Hot Ones.
Thankfully, she has the perfect cure for all
ring-related ailments.
"Lots of wine," she told the show.
"I love drinking wine after a match.
It makes me really calm and relaxed."
Bottoms up!
