WWE stars Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks made wrestling history as the first Black women to confront each other in a WrestleMania championship, as per the sports entertainment organization.
Belair defeated Banks, becoming a champion for the first time in her WWE career, as indicated by WWE.
The team stepped into the ring on Saturday night to finish off the first night of WrestleMania 37, WWE’s greatest event of the year. Both were met with cheers from fans, who were in participation for the first time in over year.
More than 25,000 fans went to the live event at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida, while millions more watched from home through streaming platforms, as per WWE.
“I love the fact that this is not just something that’s just about me and it’s not just about making history,” Belair, 32, told the Tampa Bay Times last week. “It’s about going out and representing for women and for Black women. It’s going to be amazing.”
Belair won the option to pick her adversary after she won the current year’s women’s Royal Rumble match. In February, she declared that she would take on Banks, 29, for the SmackDown Women’s Championship title.
“But this is the first time ever that two African American women will be headlining at WrestleMania,” Banks, whose real name is Mercedes Varnado, said on the podcast Token CEO. “So this is crazy because it’s bigger then me and I think that’s what the beautiful thing is.”
Different stars to go head to head on Saturday included Braun Strowman versus Shane McMahon, and Bobby Lashley against Drew McIntyre.
Puerto-Rican music artist Bad Bunny made his WWE debut as he collaborated with Damian Priest to defeat The Miz and John Morrison.
The two-night event proceeds with Sunday. It is streamed on Peacock in the United States and on the WWE Network all throughout the world.