Net Worth: $4 Million
Full Name: Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Vardano
Ring Name: Sasha Banks
Profession: Professional Wrestler
Major Accomplishments:
- 5-time WWE Raw Women’s Champion
- 1-time WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion
- 1-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion
- First woman to headline NXT TakeOver and WWE Pay-Per-View event
- Multiple award wins, including PWI’s Woman of the Year and Feud of the Year
- 2020 “Wrestler of the Year” by Sports Illustrated
Early Life and Background
Sasha Banks was born on January 26, 1992, in Fairfield, California, as Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Vardano. Raised in a family with notable entertainment industry connections, including Snoop Dogg, Brandy, and Ray J, Banks grew up with a passion for wrestling. She moved to Minnesota at a young age, then later to Boston, where she immersed herself in the local wrestling scene. Inspired by All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling, she began training in 2008.
Banks’ family also had a strong focus on diversity, and she grew up alongside an autistic brother. She attended online school while honing her wrestling skills.
Career Beginnings
Banks started her wrestling journey in Chaotic Wrestling in 2010, initially wrestling under the name Mercedes KV. She had early success, winning the Chaotic Wrestling Women’s Championship and defending it successfully in multiple matches.
By 2012, Banks had become the longest-reigning Chaotic Women’s Champion. She made her mark in other independent wrestling organizations such as New England Championship Wrestling and National Wrestling Alliance, before signing with WWE after a successful tryout in 2012.
WWE Career: NXT and Main Roster Success
Sasha debuted on WWE’s NXT brand in 2012, where she first competed under her ring name Sasha Banks. Her initial matches included a notable loss to Paige, and her early storyline involved a feud with Audrey Marie. However, her major breakthrough came in 2015, when she became part of the historic first-ever women’s match to headline NXT TakeOver. The match was also the longest women’s bout in WWE history and the first Iron Woman Match, later being named Match of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, with Banks earning Woman of the Year honors.
Banks’ time in NXT also included capturing the NXT Women’s Championship after defeating Charlotte Flair in 2015, making her mark as a top star in WWE.
Main Roster Achievements
Sasha Banks debuted on the WWE main roster in 2015. During this time, she achieved monumental milestones:
- 5-time Raw Women’s Champion
- 1-time SmackDown Women’s Champion
- 1-time Women’s Tag Team Champion
Notably, Sasha was part of the first women’s match to headline a WWE pay-per-view event, alongside Charlotte Flair, and she became the first woman to compete in a Hell in a Cell match. In 2019, she won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship alongside Bayley at the Elimination Chamber.
In 2020, Sasha was named Wrestler of the Year by Sports Illustrated. Additionally, she was one of the most mentioned athletes on Twitter, ranking just behind Simone Biles and LeBron James in 2021.
Challenges and Hiatus
Despite her success, Sasha Banks faced moments of frustration within WWE, particularly in 2019. Reports emerged about her suffering from depression, leading to a period of uncertainty regarding her future in the company. After a rumored request for her release was denied, she took a brief hiatus to reassess her career.
Sasha returned to WWE after this break and continued to achieve further success, including winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in 2020.
Legacy and Impact
Sasha Banks’ career in WWE has been groundbreaking, from her NXT achievements to becoming one of the company’s top stars. She is credited with helping revolutionize women’s wrestling in WWE, playing a pivotal role in the Women’s Evolution alongside her peers, such as Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Bayley. Sasha’s legacy includes not only her in-ring accomplishments but also her influence on popular culture, making her one of the most recognizable faces in WWE history.
