WWE Nixes Another Sasha Banks Match From SmackDown

Sasha Banks scheduled match with Lacey Evans was pulled from WWE SmackDown once again this week.

WWE has tried to do the match for the past three weeks, and still had it advertised as late as this evening, but they stopped pushing the match as the show went on the air. WWE later did a backstage injury angle that saw Evans attack Banks as SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley made the save. WWE Producer Adam Pearce later interrupted Bayley and Banks in the trainer's room, and ordered Bayley to face Evans in a non-title match.

Evans won that match against Bayley and was then granted the title shot for the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26. We've noted for a few weeks now how the plan has been for Evans vs. Bayley to take place for the title. The match was originally planned for WWE TLC on December 15, but was delayed so it could take place at The Rumble.

Banks did not come to ringside with Bayley for her loss to Evans this week. The Boss hasn't wrestled since the January 3 SmackDown episode, which saw Evans and Dana Brooke win a Triple Threat tag team match over Banks and Bayley, plus Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. Before that, her last TV match came on the December 27 SmackDown, in which she and Bayley defeated Evans and Brooke. Banks did work some of the post-Christmas live events, working the same Triple Threat tag team matches from the January 3 SmackDown episode.

Above is video from this week's backstage angle with Banks and Evans, and below is video from Evans vs. Bayley in the non-title match.