At WWE SummerSlam, Bianca Belair was scheduled to defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks, but “The Boss” was replaced by Becky Lynch.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider reports that Banks’ ongoing absence is “not an injury issue.” It’s important to note that on Sunday morning, Fightful Select reported that Banks was not medically cleared to compete at the show, but WWE hopes she’ll be able to compete sooner rather than later.
Johnson also notes that Banks’ absence from the go-home episode of SmackDown was a fairly last-minute situation, as segments of the show were re-written once it was clear that Banks would be unable to appear.
Additionally, Johnson offered some information about Lynch’s victory in a remarkably short match over Belair. He states that the manner of this win was done in an effort to “pop the fans” in the wake of Banks’ absence. This decision was reportedly Vince McMahon’s call, and Lynch won the title in order to make it a “spectacular” moment.
Finally, Johnson also wrote that the idea behind Lynch’s quick victory was entirely about her; it wasn’t a reflection on Belair, though some in the company saw the events of SummerSlam as “taking the wind out of her sails.”
WrestleZone will provide more details as they become available.
