Sasha Banks: My Health & Matches Improved Without WWE’s Grueling Travel Schedule

[Vice Queen]

Sasha Banks: My Health & Matches Have Improved Without WWE Travel

Sasha Banks says her work life is a lot more manageable now that WWE is running shows from the same venue every week.


The Covid-19 pandemic has led WWE to suspend touring. The ThunderDome in St. Petersberg, Florida hosts Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-view broadcasts. Live events are on hold indefinitely.

Sasha Banks says her health and in-ring work have improved without having to deal with WWE‘s grueling travel schedule. The SmackDown Women’s Champion recently appeared on the Normal Not Normal podcast.

When asked about the impact of WWE‘s new schedule, The Boss said, “You have no idea how much I think that has changed my career. For real, it has changed my career so much.”

Sasha Banks on WWE Travel Schedule
WWE Superstars are typically on the road five or six days per week. The never-ending routine of airports, highways, hotels and lack of sleep are punishing in the longterm.

“I’m not just talking about in one state,” Banks says of the usual WWE travel schedule. “I’m driving five or six hours to different states every single day. But we’re not just talking about driving, I’m talking about flying as well – early in the morning – and I’m talking about wrestling too. I’m beating my body, jumping into a car, and driving five hours and getting to the hotel at maybe four in the morning. Sleep in until 12, work out, get your food, and doing the exact same thing. That will beat up your body.”

The life she described only encapsulates the travel portion. Sasha Banks explains that another slew of challenges await once talent arrives to the area.

Sasha Banks Travel
“Now you get to TV, where it’s crazy to begin,” she continued. “You don’t know what’s gonna happen, Vince could push you out there, you have no idea. You could have a 10-minute match, five-minute match, nothing, or a 20-minute segment. Then you go home, do your laundry, and get on the road again.”

Now that she’s no longer traveling the world for work, she’s seen notable improvements with not only her in-ring work, but also her overall health.

“Now, thankfully that I live in Florida, it’s once a week. I feel like a part-timer. My body is in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I’m sleeping so good. My match quality has raised the roof up, and my body just feels awesome.”

Check out the Normal Not Normal podcast to hear their full interview with Sasha Banks.

 

[2CT]

mix all that with the fact she got neckbeards all in the airport at 3am looking at her like and demanding autographs, yeah i see where she coming from

 

[MenacingMonk]

Of course they did.

 

[Brehcepticon]

Get pimped by a carny for a living, wrestling breh(tte)s

 

[SpacelySprockets]

house shows had been an outdated concept for a while even before the pandemic, that's one of the things AEW had been doing right over WWE

obviously once things go back to "normal" they're not going to be doing the same venue weekly but lets hope house shows never come back at least and wrestlers are only working once a week

 

[DLo]

So is their salary the same without the house show money? Or did they have to cover expenses and are saving money at the end of the day?

 

[JerseyBoy23]

So is their salary the same without the house show money? Or did they have to cover expenses and are saving money at the end of the day?

Pre-COVID they had to pay for their rental cars and hotels but I have no idea if they are covering that for wrestlers and production staff who live outside of Florida. Don't think they are making as much as they would with house show money, especially without those international tours but they are probably making money per bump.

 

[Tres Leches]

Come to the team with no house shows less travel and more freedom Sasha

 

[Rell Lauren]

So is their salary the same without the house show money? Or did they have to cover expenses and are saving money at the end of the day?

Salaries are still the same, but their take home is a lot more as they don't have to spend on flights, cars and hotels. This was a great opportunity for wrestlers to stack their bread if they were still employed by WWE.

 

[RammerJammer]

house shows had been an outdated concept for a while even before the pandemic, that's one of the things AEW had been doing right over WWE

obviously once things go back to "normal" they're not going to be doing the same venue weekly but lets hope house shows never come back at least and wrestlers are only working once a week

There will probably still be house shows (MSG, International Tours) but the house shows in towns like Jackson, Mississippi most likely are gonna get cut out.

 

[DanielAlfredsson]

Salaries are still the same, but their take home is a lot more as they don't have to spend on flights, cars and hotels. This was a great opportunity for wrestlers to stack their bread if they were still employed by WWE.

They're all making much less $ I believe. They have downside contracts but unless they were among the newer deals of the last few years, a lot of the income comes from house show gates and merch, which isn't moving as much without people at the shows to buy them.

That's why the OnlyFans/Cameo thing was such a kick to the balls. These guys and girls are taking home less $ and the way they have found to make up the difference gets taken away.

 

[DanielAlfredsson]

And while on the subject of contracts, now with this Peacock deal, so much of their $ as a company is guaranteed. All that rights $ is set in stone.

So the contract structure of low downside guarantees because so many of the business (merch, PPV buys, live attendance gates) was up and down is archaic. If there was a union we'd be in a different situation but somehow I suspect they will continue to get bent over at the contract stage regardless.

"JUST REACH FOR THE BRASS RING DAMMIT!"

 

[White City Black]

This is likely a universal consensus amongst the boys (and girls). WWE would always have their Superstars in the media, propping up the “We entertain our audiences over 300 days a year!” bullshyt. It’s bad enough that the human body wasn’t designed for taking “bumps” and shyt like that for 30, 40 years straight.

But, to have to also drive from city to city, barely get decent sleep, or enough time to experience calm and mindfulness in their own home before they have to head back out? And if you have a family, it affects you on top of affecting them.

Mental, physically, even spiritually...

 

[NOSaintsFan02]

I'd like to think Vince won't go back to the draining schedule once things are "normal" again, but if he does, boy that's gonna be a total shock to all the superstars' mental and physical

 

[CBoz]

Honestly the age of the house show should be over after this.