What’s the story?
Bayley achieved her childhood dream this past Monday when she defeated Charlotte Flair to become the WWE Raw Women’s Champion. Bayley’s defeat of the former champion was an emotional moment that may well have topped the emotion of the other big Championship wins in the past week, if not the past year.
Bayley is now the top female on the flagship show of the biggest wrestling company in the world.
Never one to forget her roots, Bayley took to Twitter to post a picture of herself with the Championship belt outside Full Sail Studios, home of WWE developmental brand NXT. It was in NXT that Bayley got her start and her first ever Championship match took place in that building, a fact that was acknowledged by the champ herself.
It has been a fantastic ride for the professional hugger.
In case you didn’t know...
It was in NXT that Bayley went from an awkward enhancement performer to a cult hero, rising through the ranks to arguably become the most popular female star in the company. Bayley’s ride to the top reached an emotional peak when she defeated Charlotte for the Championship on Raw, surviving the interference of Dana Brooke (thanks to Sasha Banks) to hit the Champion with the Bayley-to-Belly.
The heart of the matter
Bayley first challenged Charlotte for the NXT Championship at Full Sail Studios way back in September 2014 at the NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way show.
Ironically it was Banks who Bayley defeated to become the number one contender for that Championship way back then, and the careers of the three have been intertwined ever since Charlotte and Bayley joined forces to go up against Sasha and Summer Rae three years ago.
What’s next?
The television ratings for Bayley’s championship win over Charlotte don’t make for optimistic reading, but it remains to be seen whether the top brass let it slide and truly run with Bayley as Champion.
After months of Sasha Banks and Charlotte throwing the title back and forth, it makes for a refreshing change of scenery, but one can’t help but feel an emotional Bayley Championship win should have been kept back for WrestleMania.
Sportskeeda’s take
It is great to see Bayley as Champion and the photo she posted of her return to Full Sail Studios. The truth is, however, that Bayley ending Charlotte’s pay-per-view win streak and winning her first Women’s Championship at the same time was a WrestleMania moment waiting to happen, and WWE has messed up by not holding this back.
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