Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss Make History In Abu Dhabi

On Thursday, Sasha Banks battled Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship in Abu Dhabi, marking the first time women competed in a WWE match not only in the United Arab Emirates capital city but in the UAE as a whole.

This historic bout also marked the first time the Raw Women’s Title was defended in the Middle East region.

The Boss, donning special ring gear in keeping with local customs, could hardly hold back her emotions following the match.

“Right before I went out, I just started crying … I just thought about how huge this is, and … it’s bigger than me,” Banks said. ““The moment I walked out there, and the moment the announcer announced that this was going to be a Women’s match, you can hear the crowd care. The moment I stood out there and saw … little girls … it made everything worth it, because this is what I feel I was put on this Earth to do. I want to make a change in the world, I want to empower women, and I want them to know that their dreams are endless and they can achieve anything.”

An emotional @SashaBanksWWE talks about making history tonight at #WWEAbuDhabi. pic.twitter.com/xFxmD2jbrf

— WWE (@WWE) December 7, 2017

During the match, the crowd chanted “This is hope,” which resonated deeply with the four-time Raw Women’s Champion.

“We’ve come such a long way, not even just in WWE, but in the whole world,” Sasha said. “This is something that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life, and I can’t thank the fans enough because they inspired me tonight.”

The defending Raw Women’s Champion was equally inspired, thanking fans in Abu Dhabi following the title bout.

What an amazing and historic night ! Thank you so much Abu Dhabi , was such an honor 💙

A post shared by Alexa_Bliss (@alexa_bliss_wwe_) on Dec 7, 2017 at 10:56am PST

The emotion surrounding the match wasn’t lost on Triple H, who tweeted a pre-match photo from Abu Dhabi with the caption, “That moment when you make history on a worldwide level …”

That moment when you make history on a worldwide level… #WWEAbuDhabi @SashaBanksWWE @AlexaBliss_WWE pic.twitter.com/Tvn7TRHjww

— Triple H (@TripleH) December 7, 2017

Also thank you @iammikaze for making into the baddest purple power ranger ever. ❤️ #wweabudhabi

A post shared by Sasha Banks (@sashabankswwe) on Dec 7, 2017 at 12:15pm PST

Congrats to @SashaBanksWWE and @AlexaBliss_WWE for breaking barriers. Be very proud, ladies! We are! #WWEAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/pT28Isd8O4

— Adam Pearce (@ScrapDaddyAP) December 7, 2017