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5 reasons Bayley was the MVP of the pandemic era

By Greg Bush
Modified Jul 10, 2021 03:20 GMT
Bayley has been vital to WWE during a rough period
Bayley has been vital to WWE during a rough period

#2 Bayley taunts Michael Cole

Bayley has spent most of the last year mocking Michael Cole so loudly that it's picked up on live microphones. With no fans attending SmackDown, every insult she's thrown Cole's way has been heard loud and clear.

Cole being tormented has led to some of the funniest moments of the pandemic era. At Hell in a Cell 2020, Bayley's screaming at Cole was so hilarious that it got "Cole" trending on Twitter.

Whether from inside the ring or while sitting next to Cole at commentary, Bayley dug into him every single Friday night. Whether she was telling him to shut up or making fun of the phrases he'd throw out, it was simply a delight.

Bayley joined Cole and Corey Graves for commentary so often that she insulted Cole for his mistakes, like when he mistakenly called Bianca Belair "Belanca." It got so entertaining that Bayley has reportedly been trying to get a match with Cole in the future.

Bayley proved herself to be a major heel during the pandemic era, but also an entertaining character that could get fans literally laughing out loud.

#1 Bayley vs Sasha Banks - The culmination of years of storytelling

It was years in the making: Bayley vs Sasha Banks. Ever since their feud in NXT, which is considered by many as one of the greatest of the Black and Gold brand, we've been giddy about the two friends running it back. After five years, two WWE Women's Tag Title Runs, and one of the greatest beatdowns we saw in years, we finally got the feud.

It lived up to the hype and more. At Hell in a Cell, the two put on one of the greatest matches in the history of the steel cage. The use of chairs, kendo sticks and more were pretty inventive, giving us spots we'd never seen in one of these matches before.

It was also a feud that was deserving of the stipulation. Ever since Hell in a Cell got its own pay-per-view, we've seen superstars compete in the structure when the feud didn't exactly call for it. Sasha and Bayley? They needed this.

However, this feud ended another long-term story. Until last year, Sasha Banks was unable to successfully defend a singles title on the main roster. She'd lose it in her first defense.

Banks, after beating Bayley at Hell in a Cell, retained the SmackDown Women's Championship on SmackDown a few weeks later. She got her revenge on her former best friend and greatest enemy while also breaking her own curse. It was fantastic storytelling.

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