WWE waited a long time to bring Bayley to the main roster. Last year, Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch were brought to enhance the “Divas Revolution” and help evolve women’s wrestling on WWE programming. The three women of NXT were ultimately successful in accomplishing that goal, but the impact of Bayley’s run in NXT cannot be overlooked.
NXT Takeover: Brooklyn is just as important to the evolution of women’s wrestling in WWE as Wrestlemania 32 was earlier this year if not more so. The WWE Universe waited anxiously for the day that Bayley would be brought to WWE’s main roster, but it didn’t come after NXT Takeover: Dallas , which was a surprise to most WWE fans.
It wasn’t until WWE Battleground last month when the WWE Universe got a preview of what they wanted for WWE’s Women’s Division. Bayley debuted as Sasha’s partner against Charlotte and Dana Brooke. Her appearance was a one-off to let the WWE fans know that Bayley was coming, she just needed some more time. Bayley had one more match to get through at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II against Asuka . After that, she officially debuted on Raw for good the night after WWE Summerslam.
The rumors were that Bayley needed to remain in NXT as long as she did because there was no one to replace her in the NXT Women’s Division. Despite the success of Nia Jax and Asuka, the powers that be felt that Bayley was needed there more than on the main roster. Obviously, the WWE Draft and brand extension changed a lot of things, and now Bayley is on Raw full-time.
Although Bayley is one of the biggest and most beloved stars ever to come out of WWE developmental and NXT, there was some concern about her transition to WWE’s main roster based on her character. Bayley is a babyface through and through, and her persona is a unique mix of passion, determination, and innocence.
There have been few wrestlers as genuine as Bayley. Because of that, a lot of people within the WWE fans concerned about how she would be booked on the main roster since many performers from NXT don’t transition well to WWE television. However, those concerns have been thwarted by Bayley’s debut at WWE Battleground and on Raw this past week. If some people are still unconvinced about WWE officials’ belief in Bayley, the latest news to break on her should be more than convincing.
Apparently, Vince McMahon is extremely highon Bayley being on the main roster after her debut on Monday Night Raw earlier this week. He was said to be very excited about the reaction that Bayley received from the Brooklyn crowd during her Raw debut. Vince is also drawing comparisons between Bayley and former Divas Champion AJ Lee, which is meant as a compliment.
According to the latest news about Bayley’s push on Raw, she will be pushed as a top babyface for the brand. The expectation is that she will be pushed as the top female babyface without question, which will make her one of the top faces for Raw overall, especially now that Finn Balor’s injury has cost him the next four to six months of his career. As he exits, Bayley enters the fold.
During her debut, Bayley got involved with the current WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte. She ended up getting a victory over Dana Brooke in her debut singles match on Raw, but the obvious storyline going forward is Bayley chasing Charlotte and the WWE Women’s title as Raw heads to WWE Clash of Champions in a few more weeks. It’s unclear if Bayley vs. Charlotte will be the match for the Women’s title at that event, but Bayley is going to receive a strong push immediately from WWE officials.
It’s important to note that Sasha Banks is expected to have her rematch for the WWE Women’s Championship when she returns to Raw in September. The only reason she dropped the title was due to suffering from nagging injuries, including a lower back injury. That’s opened the door for Bayley to become the face of Raw’s Women’s Division in her absence.
What happens when The Boss returns to Raw is anyone’s guess as of this writing. The expectation is Bayley will be hugely over, especially with WWE officials and Vince McMahon behind her. It’s going to be up to the WWE Universe if they favor Banks or Bayley because it’s already being rumored that WWE officials are already planning Banks vs. Bayley for Wrestlemania 33 .
Next year’s Wrestlemania takes place in Orlando, which would be a great place to have their next singles encounter based on their history in with NXT in that city. Of course, many WWE fans would consider that the best match possible for the card, which the two women would obviously embrace. WWE is going to have to book her strongly to get her from here to there within less than eight months of WWE programming. If WWE plays their cards right, they could surpass their match in Brooklyn.
[Image via WWE.com]