Sasha Banks and Naomi have a lot of history, both as partners and rivals, but at WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, they created another exciting chapter in their story by capturing the WWE women’s tag-team championship in front of more than 80,000 people at AT&T Stadium. As former singles world champions in their own right, both of these popular stars bring something special to the ring but when they come together, it seems that magic is truly made, earning them the nickname: “Boss and Glow.”
During WWE’s big show recently at the O2 Arena, M&F was able to talk to the WWE RAW Tag-team champions, Randy Orton and Matt Riddle about how pro wrestlers should use their smarts in order to have an enduring career. Of course, a huge issue that makes the life of a WWE Superstar all the more challenging is the fact that, unlike with other forms of sports and entertainment, there is simply no offseason in WWE.
So, M&F Hers asked Sasha Banks and Naomi how they navigate such a harsh schedule, and soon found out that both partners bring individual qualities to the table in order to benefit the team as a whole. As “Boss and Glow,” Banks and Naomi create an awesome chemistry that forces them to strive to be their best at all times.
Many people who watch WWE may not understand the rigors of performing at the level that both of you undertake. There’s no offseason in WWE. How do you keep going all-year-round?
Naomi: I think it’s the passion and the motivation, and the competition never ends either, so I think, for me, just knowing I have to stay healthy, I have to stay in shape, I gotta stay in the gym, and try not to get injured because your spot can be taken like that. That keeps me motivated.
Sasha Banks: Also, just working out everyday helps you, keeps you from getting injured. Moving your body; I like doing yoga, meditating, that helps me from getting injured a lot. And stretching before my matches, cooling down, icing. When we do have time off, if it’s one day a week, just having that time to like zone-in just for yourself and making sure that you’re good mentally, physically… and just everything. I feel like that’s how we take care of ourselves, you know?
What are the different demands that you face as a tag-team, as opposed to being singles competitors, and have there been any adjustments in making it work?
Naomi: Honestly, I think it is easier, in a way, when you are a singles competitor because all you have to worry about and focus on is yourself, your needs, your wants. You know, from what you look like, you don’t have to worry about or ask the other person; ‘what’s our style?’ All these little things, but I think that’s what so special about Sasha and I teaming up. I feel like it’s so organic and natural and easy and we kind of think the same way on a lot of things.
Sasha Banks: The same style.
Naomi: The same style!
Sasha Banks: The same glow!
Naomi: So much of what we want to do, we collaborate on so easily and I love that. And it’s not always easy in a tag-team because you don’t always have that flow and that vibe with each other, it’s not always easy, you bump heads a lot but I don’t have that with her. I’ve never had that with her. That’s why I knew that this would work, and like, I’m really excited to see where we grow in areas where I feel that I can improve on, she backs me in that, and I know I can confide in her and ask her things and also learn and grow with her. I mean we got a ten-time champion right here. I would be crazy not to pick her brain right!?
Do you find that you inspire each other to try harder?
Naomi: I think so, in more ways that one. Not just on the training, but I feel like one thing that I really admire about Sasha is her wrestling IQ and how differently she structures matches compared to how I structure matches, and I feel like our styles are pretty similar. We can both do some like high flying stuff, we like doing cool things, but I just think her psychology is something that I really think is what is standout and special about her. So, she challenges me to structure differently, or to challenge myself with how I’m doing these matches, and getting more out of the matches. I definitely think we do.
Sasha Banks: Yeah, and Naomi helps me inside and outside of the ring. You know, whether I’m with the fans, and with the girls, just her energy and your personality. It just lights up a room, so I always want to feed off of that and always wanna be like you when I’m out there and even in the ring you glow, and she shines so bright that I’m just like, “Whoa!” I gotta bring my light up to a different energy because she just, she’s so bright out there, and she’s so athletic and I get so jealous of it, and I’m just like, “Alright, I gotta train a little bit harder” (Naomi laughs). ‘Cause, man, this girl got hops, she got leaps, she got jumps, she got dives, and I’m so lucky that you’re my tag-team partner ‘cause if it was the opposite side, I’d be a little scared! For sure.
There’s no doubt that “Boss and Glow” are fighting champions and since winning the titles at WrestleMania, they have dominated the competition on a global scale. Last month in London, Sasha and Naomi defeated worthy adversaries in Natalya and Shayna Baszler, and they are already eyeing up a return to the United Kingdom where we could see them defend the gold once again, this time during the huge ‘Clash at the Castle’ super show in Cardiff, Wales this coming September. For ticket and travel package info click here:
Of course, “Boss and Glow” have a way to go until then. The duo will have to keep racking up those wins on Raw and SmackDown to forge a path to Clash at the Castle, but their ambitions don’t end in Cardiff. Sasha Banks told M&F Hers that she and Naomi would love to be the first ever women’s tag-team to main event a pay-per-view. It seems that there are big things ahead for these champions and the entire WWE women’s tag-team division.
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