For nearly a year, WWE Raw’s Women’s division was about two women, Charlotte and Sasha Banks. Forget that there was even a stacked division, because one or two segments a night were devoted to those two WWE superstars. It got under the skin of the WWE Universe due to the want for more women than just Banks and Charlotte. As the storyline progressed, their matches improved quality, which made the situation better for a short amount of time.
This was all taking place while WWE stars like Paige, who was undergoing behavioral issues; Emmalina, who is still waiting to return after months of saying she’ll debut soon; and Bayley, who was being shoved down into the mid-card because Vince McMahon wasn’t sure what to do with her. It was either that or they were waiting until Banks and Charlotte finished up their WWE Women’s championship game of hot potato. Either way, there are now more than two women in WWE Raw’s Women’s division, and the fans are happy again.
It’s now January, and Bayley is set to face Charlotte for the WWE Women’s championship at the Royal Rumble . The young Flair is being billed as the Queen of the pay-per-view. She will only win at a big show, while Banks beat her on WWE Raw three different times for the strap. The phenomena caused a rift in the WWE Universe, especially those who are very close to the product. Each time Banks and Charlotte switched the championship, it made it feel less special, according to this writer.
In just under four weeks, Bayley will get her first opportunity for a main championship on the WWE’s main roster. During her illustrious run at WWE NXT, she held the NXT Women’s title for a record-long reign, even though Asuka just surpassed her previous run. It’s all about the Royal Rumble and the Raw Women’s belt. In an updated report by SEScoops , the plans for Charlotte and Bayley heading into WrestleMania are as follows.
“Bayley is reportedly penciled in to win the Women’s Championship from Charlotte at WrestleMania in April. Bayley’s first title shot is at the Royal Rumble later this month, so it looks like their feud will be lasting at least a few months. The plan is reportedly for Bayley to continually be screwed over by Charlotte in order to keep Bayley’s babyface heat growing.”
This is similar to what Bayley had to overcome in WWE NXT. She, like Sami Zayn, was always one step behind the main event scene for the women. That was until she defeated Banks, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch to become the NXT Women’s champion at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn . Her match with Banks was one of the best of all-time. That distinction also includes the men as well. On the main roster, they aren’t given that much freedom, unless it’s a special occasion like a rivalry between Banks and Charlotte.
In a recent article by the Inquisitr , it appears that Bayley will get something similar to the Daniel Bryant treatment when facing off against Stephanie McMahon. In order to get her popularity back, that will be the best way to do so. WWE fans hate Stephanie, so Bayley can win the respect of many by defeating her. There’s a clear difference between WWE NXT and the main roster. Bayley talked about that in a recent interview.
“It’s tough but it’s all worth it. It’s been a long road for me coming from NXT. I’ve been with NXT for almost four years, and just getting to WWE and now being able to travel with them; I kind of have to make new friends and get hotel rooms, and travel in different cities every single night.”
How will Bayley’s ascension atop the WWE affect the WWE Universe’s opinion on her? When she first debuted, it came with a huge reaction from the fans. Vince’s booking of her really derailed that momentum, but it appears that she is on the mend. Royal Rumble will be the deciding factor on how this rivalry will play out.
[Featured image by WWE]