Ethan Riley
Sasha Banks and Bayley are two of the Four Horsewomen of WWE, a group that also includes Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. Banks and Bayley were a professional wrestling tag team in WWE from 2016 to 2020. They were the inaugural WWE Women's Tag Team Champions and held the title twice. The two had a falling out in 2020 and feuded, with Banks ultimately defeating Bayley at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view to win her first SmackDown Women's Championship. Banks' departure from WWE in 2023 ended the chances of a possible reunion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature of their relationship | Bayley and Sasha Banks were tag team partners and friends. |
| Time as tag team partners | They were tag team partners from July 2016 to September 2020. |
| Team name | From July 2018 to April 2019, they used the team name "The Boss 'n' Hug Connection". |
| Achievements | They were the inaugural holders of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, a title they would hold twice. |
| Issues | Bayley and Sasha Banks had issues in 2018 and were told to attend counsellor meetings to help maintain their friendship. |
| Feud | On the September 4 episode of SmackDown, Bayley turned on Banks by brutalizing her in the ring, disbanding their team. |
| Current status | Banks' departure in 2023 ended the chances of a possible reunion. |
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What You'll Learn
Sasha Banks and Bayley's first match as a team
Sasha Banks and Bayley, known as two of The Four Horsewomen, had their first official match as a team on July 24, 2016, at Battleground. They took on Charlotte and Dana Brooke, whom Banks and Bayley defeated. Although Bayley was still a member of the NXT roster at the time, she moved to Raw on August 22. Banks and Bayley became regular tag team partners on house shows, and from July 2018 to April 2019, they used the team name The Boss 'n' Hug Connection. During this time, they became the inaugural WWE Women's Tag Team Champions at Elimination Chamber in February 2019.
Prior to their official team-up, Banks and Bayley had occasionally teamed up since 2013. Their first occurrence of teaming up was on February 14, 2013, at an NXT house show in Tampa, Florida, where they faced Audrey Marie and Charlotte in an unsuccessful effort. From May 2013 to 2015, they only had matches as opponents, including for the NXT Women's Championship.
Banks and Bayley's partnership, which originally remained mostly off-screen, eventually transitioned to regular team-ups on Raw starting in December 2017. They held the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship twice and were the inaugural holders of the title.
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The Four Horsewomen
Bayley and Sasha Banks were once tag team partners and friends. However, their friendship ended in September 2020 when Bayley turned on Banks by brutalizing her in the ring after losing a match to Jax and Baszler. Banks departed in 2023, ending any chance of a reunion.
The two wrestlers, along with Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, were known as The Four Horsewomen of NXT, and later, The Four Horsewomen of WWE. The group was responsible for elevating women's wrestling in WWE and changing the division from sex appeal to true athleticism. They were the inaugural four-time Women's Tag Team Champions.
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Bayley turns on Banks
Bayley and Sasha Banks were an American professional wrestling tag team in WWE. They were the inaugural holders of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, a title they would hold twice. Bayley and Banks, who were already known as two of The Four Horsewomen for their impact on women's wrestling in WWE, had occasionally teamed up since 2013. They became a tag team at Battleground on July 24, 2016, regularly teaming up in its aftermath on house shows.
However, on the March 26 episode of Raw, after weeks of animosity between the two, Bayley turned on Banks by betraying her during their matches. They brawled backstage and had to be separated. Banks and Bayley faced off in mid-April, but their match ended in a no-contest after The Riott Squad interfered and attacked them both. In the following weeks, Banks competed in different singles and tag team matches. Throughout mid-2018, after Banks and Bayley continued to attack each other, they were told to attend counsellor meetings to help maintain their friendship.
In September 2020, Bayley and Banks performed as heels, and their partnership ended in September 2020. Banks' departure in 2023 ended the chances of a possible reunion. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown, Bayley turned on Banks by brutalizing her in the ring, disbanding their team. The two then feuded, culminating in a Hell in a Cell match where Banks defeated Bayley to win her first SmackDown Women's Championship.
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The Boss 'n' Hug Connection
Sasha Banks and Bayley, known as The Boss n Hug Connection, were an American professional wrestling tag team in WWE. They were the inaugural holders of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, a title they would hold twice.
The Boss n Hug Connection first teamed up on July 24, 2016, at Battleground, where they defeated Charlotte and Dana Brooke. Although Bayley was still a member of the NXT roster at the time, she moved to Raw on August 22, 2016, after failing to recapture the NXT Women's Championship. From September 16, 2016, to February 5, 2017, Bayley and Banks were regular tag team partners, alongside Alicia Fox, and they mostly feuded with Flair, Brooke, and Nia Jax. Despite this early partnership, their team name, The Boss 'n' Hug Connection, was not used until July 2018.
Banks and Bayley were already known as two of The Four Horsewomen, alongside Charlotte and Becky Lynch, for their impact on women's wrestling in WWE. They had occasionally teamed up since 2013 but only became a regular tag team in December 2017. In February 2019, they became the inaugural WWE Women's Tag Team Champions at Elimination Chamber. However, they went on hiatus following their title loss at WrestleMania 35 in April 2019 due to Banks' absence from WWE. They reunited in September 2019 but performed as heels, simply going by the team name of "Bayley and Sasha Banks".
Throughout mid-2018, Banks and Bayley had several issues, both backstage and during matches, and were told to attend counsellor meetings to help maintain their friendship. In July, they reconciled and resumed their partnership. However, on the September 4 episode of SmackDown in 2020, Bayley turned on Banks, disbanding their team. Banks defeated Bayley at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view to win her first SmackDown Women's Championship. Banks' departure in 2023 ended the chances of a possible reunion.
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Sasha Banks' departure in 2023
Sasha Banks, also known as Mercedes Varnado, officially departed from WWE in 2023. Banks had been a prominent figure in WWE, with a five-time Raw Women's Championship, a SmackDown Women's Championship, an NXT Women's Championship, and three WWE Women's Tag Team Championships under her belt. She also gained mainstream recognition for her role as Koska Reeves in the Star Wars Mandalorian series.
Banks' departure from WWE was not entirely unexpected. In May 2022, she and her tag team partner Naomi walked out on an episode of Raw, leading to their suspension from WWE programming. Subsequently, in June 2022, reports emerged suggesting that Banks had been released from her contract with WWE. However, WWE did not immediately confirm her departure, and there was speculation about her future in the wrestling industry.
Banks' contract with WWE ended in the summer of 2022, and she became a free agent on January 1, 2023. Her departure was quietly acknowledged by WWE when they moved her profile to the alumni section of their roster. Banks, now using the name Mercedes Moné, debuted in New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 17 event, signaling her transition to a new wrestling promotion.
The end of Banks' partnership with Bayley, with whom she held the inaugural WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, was marked by animosity and a highly publicized feud. Despite their reconciliation and subsequent reign as tag team champions, Banks and Bayley's friendship ultimately dissolved, with Bayley turning on Banks and disbanding their team. Banks' departure in 2023 closed the chapter on their tumultuous relationship and the possibility of a reunion.
Banks' departure from WWE sent ripples through the wrestling world and marked a significant shift in her career. Her decision to join New Japan Pro Wrestling under her new name, Mercedes Moné, signaled a fresh start and the opportunity to pursue new championships and rivalries.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Sasha Banks and Bayley are not friends. They were a professional wrestling tag team in WWE from 2016 to 2020. They were the inaugural holders of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, a title they won twice. However, they faced relational issues in 2018 and eventually split up in September 2020. Banks' departure in 2023 ended the chances of a possible reunion.
Yes, Sasha Banks and Bayley were opponents from May 2013 to 2015, including for the NXT Women's Championship.
Yes, Bayley and Sasha Banks were part of a three-way alliance with Alicia Fox from September 2016 to February 2017. They also teamed up with Natalya in October 2018 to defeat The Riott Squad.
Yes, throughout mid-2018, Banks and Bayley continued to attack each other and were told to attend counsellor meetings to help maintain their friendship. They reconciled in July 2018 and resumed teaming up.
