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The rumors had been circulating for months that the two best friends, Sasha Banks and Bayley, were headed for a feud many fans had been salivating for since their NXT days. The seeds were planted at the Royal Rumble, and later at Elimination Chamber pay-per view when Bayley was dramatically eliminated by her long time friend in Banks but, ultimately, nothing grew.
The WWE Universe was expecting a boil over, one that would climax at the show of shows, Wrestlemania. But as we know now, this was not meant to be, and the pair have been stuck playing out the same story almost every week on Raw, almost coming to blows, but never getting to that snap; the heel turn we were wanting pre-Mania.
So why the slow burn? Is it just a case of poor timing? Here are five reasons why this might be.
#1 - Stacked WrestleMania card
The ideal situation would have been for The Hugger to face The Boss at WrestleMania in New Orleans and it would not make sense for the bout to be on anything other than the main card. However, this was not possible. All the women's matches deserved to be where they were and WrestleMania was long enough already. This is what Elimination Chamber should have set up and it could have been executed perfectly. It was just not the right time.
#2 - Their title windows are closed for now
Both Superstars will get there again, but for now, the WWE have others in their sights for the Raw Women's Title. For a feud like Bayley vs Banks to garner the attention and pop it deserves, there should be some incentive for both women. What better incentive than the Raw Women's title? This will add the heat the feud needs and give it the longevity we all want it to have.
#3 - The Superstar Shake-up
This did no favours for the two. The Superstar Shake-up is designed to give new talent the spotlight with new feuds and storylines ushering in a new year for the WWE. We have seen the Riott Squad and Ember Moon getting the attention they deserve, introducing them to the Raw women's division and giving them relevance on Monday Nights. They're the shiny new stars and the veterans have had to take a small back-step while this takes place, including Bayley and Banks.
#4 - It has been stagnant for too long
The feud (or lack thereof) is running out of steam. The friendship status now of Bayley and Banks is murky and confusing. Something left-field may be needed to get this feud over in a big way with the WWE Universe, though this will be hard to pull off.
A simple Banks turning on Bayley post-match may not get the pop a heel turn needs to give the match-up a big fight feel. On the other hand, something detailed and intricate like the Enzo and Cass break up storyline from last year will take time and risks losing fan interest.
#5 - It is a big-four pay-per view worthy match
Doing it any other way seems pointless and the two can't carry on as they are all the way to Summerslam. We may see the match happen sooner, possibly at Money in the Bank, though this would likely diminish the excitement we felt for this match-up in the weeks prior to WrestleMania.
