5 bizarre booking decisions WWE made this week

#1 Bianca Belair loses to Bayley on WWE SmackDown

Bianca Belair lost to Bayley on WWE SmackDown

On this week's SmackDown, Bianca Belair and Bayley faced off for the first time in WWE. The "EST of WWE" has been involved with the former SmackDown Women's Champion, but they hadn't gotten physical yet.

.@BiancaBelairWWE and @itsBayleyWWE finally square off in a one-on-one showdown on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/kwHmoDeRbh

— WWE (@WWE) December 19, 2020

Bayley emerged victorious in an excellent match between the two. It makes sense for WWE to continue this feud, and Belair will seek to avenge her loss. If she beats Bayley, she'll look strong heading into the Royal Rumble. But having Belair take a loss on Friday doesn't make a lot of sense.

Bianca Belair lost for the first since her WWE debut.

Belair made her WWE debut at WrestleMania 36, and she had been undefeated since her arrival. This undefeated streak makes her loss on SmackDown even more baffling.

The booking decision to have Bayley defeat Belair is bizarre for several reasons. Bayley did not need to win this match. "The Role Model" is an established act in WWE, and taking a loss wouldn't hurt her. But as a rising talent with limitless potential, a loss harms Belair's momentum.

.@BiancaBelairWWE took her to the limit, but @itsBayleyWWE (with a few tricks up her sleeve) was able to outlast The #ESTofWWE on #SmackDown. pic.twitter.com/4jYNx8OZUS

— WWE (@WWE) December 19, 2020

WWE has this unfortunate booking trope in which they build a babyface by having them lose matches on the way to picking up a victory. But this is a deeply flawed system, as it makes the face look weak and gives the fans little reason to cheer for them from the start.

Belair is megastar in the making, and WWE needs to start to booking her like one. If they do, she could quickly rise to the top of the card during WrestleMania season.