WWE’s Stephanie McMahon shocked the women’s roster Monday on Raw when she interrupted a brawl to announce that, for the first time ever, the annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view will feature a women’s Royal Rumble.

With just over five weeks remaining until the 2018 women’s Royal Rumble on January 28th, four-time Women’s Champion Sasha Banks spoke to FTW about potential surprise entrants, her historic match in Abu Dhabi, and what she does to pass the time on long flights.

Did you have any idea that Stephanie McMahon was going to announce a women’s Royal Rumble on Raw?

Sasha Banks: Yeah they didn’t tell us, they just said that Stephanie would be coming out… but I kind of figured. I don’t know, I just had that assumption that it was going to be something big, just because we were in the main event. I’m pretty smart, I like to think, so I assumed that it was going to be this huge announcement, and it was really cool because in the front row was my mom and my brother.

It just made it all worth it. It made everything come full circle, how incredible this women’s division is taking off and that we just keep on breaking these barriers.

The Royal Rumble has such a long history and is one of WWE’s most important events. How does it feel to have the women represented in such a major show?

It’s huge, and incredible to see. Just in the past two years, like Stephanie said, this women’s evolution has just been taking off. I feel like every pay-per-view, the women just keep on getting opportunities and breaking down those doors and showing the world that we can do it just like the guys, you know?

It’s so cool to see, and what makes me really excited is we could potentially see a singles match at WrestleMania for the women’s championship, which is my dream. I just want to have that one-on-one match at WrestleMania.

So I’m praying to God that I win the Royal Rumble, but I know that the competition is going to be so hard. Hopefully we get to bring women from the past and women from NXT, because with just Raw and SmackDown we don’t have enough.

The surprise entrants are part of what makes the Royal Rumble so exciting – are there any legends you’re hoping to see enter this year?

Gosh, of course Trish and Lita. Beth Phoenix, Molly Holly, Jacqueline, Jazz… I mean, bring ’em all. Just to even think of the potential legends that could be in that ring with me, that’s what I’m really excited about. It’s crazy to even think. I’ve gotten to meet Trish and Lita already, and Beth Phoenix, but to be in the ring with them would be such a huge honor. I would just be like a little kid again.

I feel like the guys get the opportunity to wrestle legends so much more than we do, so to have that potential is so cool.

Has anyone in NXT caught your eye with what they’re doing?

I really love Peyton Royce. I think she’s incredible, I love watching her matches on NXT, and I really want her to be up on the main roster, because I think me and her can tear the house down.

When you’re preparing for a match type you’ve never done before, how do you prepare? Is there anyone you go to for advice?

No…. You can’t really try to practice anything because you can’t, it’s the first time ever. Especially with the Hell in a Cell, I just watched a lot of matches. For this Royal Rumble, that’s what I’m going to do is go back on the WWE network and prepare myself and get my strategies, and hopefully maybe pull out a Kofi Kingston spot. If I do get thrown over the top, my feet will not touch.

The return of Paige and the rise of Absolution has been a big focus of Raw lately, what’s it been like having Paige back on the show?

It’s been awesome just because, you know, having three women added to our division, it adds so much more. And as you see on Raw, we’ve been getting that spot not just one time on the show, it’s twice on the show. And that’s so awesome to see, that there’s a storyline that’s not just driven for the championship, which I love. I want to see that more often, where yes, you have someone chasing the title, but I want a second storyline on the side too. Having three new girls has given us that opportunity.

Now that you’ve had a couple weeks to reflect on it, what pops in your mind when you think about your historic match in Abu Dhabi with Alexa Bliss?

I knew how special it was going to be going over there, and having the opportunity to be the first-ever woman to wrestle in the Middle East for WWE, I was incredibly honored. That feeling I had was the same feeling I had right before NXT matches. I was so nervous, I was scared, and just wanted to make a difference.

I wanted to leave my footprint in the Middle East, hoping to change history to show women that we can do it just like the guys. And hopefully opening the doors for more women to do sports, and to show young women that if you have a dream, anything is possible. I was so scared going over there because I didn’t know what the perception was going to be for us…. Right before I went out, I cried, and when I came back I cried. It’s definitely one of my top three moments that I’ve ever had in this company because of how special it was.

You wrestled in a special bodysuit for the match, and I saw your husband tweet that he made it on short notice. What was the story behind your gear?

.@SashaBanksWWE Sometimes you're given a task on short notice, but you would never dream of not coming through, so you spend countless hours and sleepless nights trying to make it happen. This is the result pic.twitter.com/tW4OSyOm5X — Mikaze (@IamMikaze) December 7, 2017

I think they told us two weeks before that we would have the potential to wrestle in Abu Dhabi, but they weren’t sure. We knew for a fact that we would be wrestling in India, but he’s like just get full-covered ring gear just in case. My husband had a week’s notice and he pulled it together. I just wanted to look like a bad-ass. I wanted to look like a purple Power Ranger, just [to] stand out, and I’m sure I did. It was really different to wrestle in a full bodysuit, but with the story behind it, I’m going to keep that gear forever and remember that.

Aside from yourself, who would you say has the best ring gear?

Ooh, nobody. Nobody can top me, honestly. Every single week I want to change up my ring gear, I come out with my flashy jacket, my jewelry, my glasses, my necklace. Honestly, nobody can top me. I’m the best of the best, inside and outside of the ring. Clothing, wrestling skills, everything.

You’ll also be taking part in the Mixed Match Challenge next year. Who would make the best partner for Sasha Banks?

That’s so hard because before I’ve had a lot of mixed challenges. I’ve had Enzo as a partner, I’ve had Roman Reigns as a partner, in NXT I had Bo Dallas as a partner. I don’t know… I love Samoa Joe, I think he’s incredible. Braun Strowman’s unstoppable. To be in the ring with a legend like Goldust… the potential is endless. I’m not sure how they’re going to pick out who’s going to be paired with who, so I’m really interested to see who I’m actually going to team up with, or even if I have a say.

I might have to pick Samoa Joe, just because I like that theme song and I want to come out to that.

Do you have any resolutions for 2018?

Keep on breaking down the doors. I just want to wrestle and just be happy, that’s the No. 1. I want to wrestle and have fun. I want to steal the show. I want to be the face of the company. I want to main-event WrestleMania, if not this year then next year. I want to keep on striving to be the best I possibly can. I want to go down in the history books as the greatest women’s wrestler ever, but not just women’s wrestler, I just want to be the greatest superstar this company has ever seen.

You’re traveling constantly, what do you do to pass the time. Is there anything you’re watching or playing?

I have my Switch with me, which is amazing, so whether it’s playing my Switch or… I download so many shows on Netflix, I can’t even name them all, because I just binge-watch them. Just going to India, that was a 16-hour flight and I barely slept on it because I wanted to catch up on all my shows. I just finished The Punisher, which was so good. I can’t even name you my shows, because I go through them weekly. We’re on flights all the time, in cars, buses. It’s non-stop. Or I’m just playing my Switch, which I’ve already beaten Mario Odyssey. I’m like ‘how did I beat that so fast?’