Could Sasha Banks Finally Be Turning Heel?

There's not a lot of hard evidence to go on here, but most would agree that Sasha Banks heel turn is long overdue. Today the holy trinity of rumor sources Cageside Seats, SportsKeeda, and Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter all published that "there's more talk of Sasha Banks turning heel soon," or as Meltzer noted, that Banks' recent defeat to Bayley on RAW "felt like the start of a heel turn."

This is hardly the first time we've heard of WWE planning such a direction for Banks' character, but they have yet to pull the trigger. Here's hoping for more than just "talk" and "feelings", and that WWE realizes it's finally time for the Boss to get down and dirty!

A Sasha Banks heel turn has been a frequent topic of conversation in 2017. The idea was initially entertained and widely rumored at the start of the year, and originally planned for the Spring. But despite all expectations, those plans never materialized.

Instead, Banks has spent the past months as the emotional support for a floundering Bayley, feuding with the unstoppable Nia Jax, and putting over Rich Swann on 205 Live. Those seven-plus months spent without a belt and largely away from the title picture suggest it could be high time to shake things up.

Up Next: Bayley Reveals Ideas for a Heel Turn

Though it gave us the momentous firsts Women main eventing a PPV and competing in a Hell in a Cell match, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair's ruthless and long-running feud for total domain over the Women's Revolution now seems like a distant memory.

A year of brand roster shake-ups and disappointing "historic firsts" for the WWE women's division later, it often feels like we live in some sort of upside-down Bizarro-world, where both Sasha and Charlotte are babyfaces, Roman Reigns is the one *trying* to be a heel, and the President occasionally tweets WWE memes.

These latest rumors of Banks turning bad stem largely from the outcome of Banks' last two singles matches. After beating the RAW Women's Champion, Alexa Bliss, by count-out at Great Balls of Fire, Banks had to face her "BFF" Bayley in a number one contender's match on RAW the next week.

Banks lost that match, despite appearing to get her shoulder off the mat during the count-out. Though her friendship with Bayley remains intact for the time being, she didn't look too pleased with the outcome. Her lost opportunity likely sowing the seeds of discontent, as well as setting up yet-another Bayley vs Bliss title match.

More: Did Sasha Banks Just Hint at Retirement?

All of this supports the idea that a heel turn could be right around the corner.

With Bayley set to face Alexa Bliss for the title at SummerSlam, the smart bet seems to be on a disgruntled Sasha interfering and costing Bayley her championship shot. From there, this feud pretty much writes itself, with all of their history from NXT only adding further layers to a rivalry that could easily carry out until WrestleMania, if not all year long.

Not only would Sasha's standing on RAW benefit from the shake-up, but considering the poor handling of Bayley's character, a rift between the two would be the obvious solution to both of their problems. Throw in a cage-match, kendo sticks, and some cheap-and-dirty heel tactics and you've got the makings of a quality program that could easily be the highlight of the RAW women's division, or main event a major PPV.

Sasha Banks is better-suited as a heel anyway. Whether or not the title is even involved, how high the stakes get will depend entirely on how low Sasha Banks is willing to go.