A new era for the WWE Women’s Division was ushered in with the arrival of the four beacons of hope from NXT. These competitors are Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, now known as Mercedes Moné, Becky Lynch, and Bayley, collectively known as the “Four Horsewomen.”
These WWE Superstars were instrumental in what most consider the best period in the Black and Gold brand’s history. All four showcased how top-tier women’s wrestling competition could truly be, providing fans with some of the best bouts and moments from the then-developmental system.
Upon arriving on the main roster, they did not lose a beat, with every member of this unofficial unit making waves by winning titles, headlining main event-level programs, and leading the charge to a revolution.
Today, it’s not an exaggeration to say that every one of them has done practically everything there is to do in the promotion.
Flair, Lynch, and Moné are often big talking points when discussing the best wrestlers the industry has to offer today. However, we feel that the former “Hugger” doesn’t get nearly enough credit as she deserves compared to the three other megastars.
That is exactly the topic of the discussion that we are about to have. We aim to give Bayley the flowers that she deserves by stating the top reasons the former multiple-time WWE Women’s Champion is precisely on the level of her Four Horsewomen peers.
Duality
If you have been following Bayley since practically day one, you’re well aware that she rose to prominence because of her kid-friendly, ultra-squeaky-clean persona. With the aforementioned babyface ‘hugger’ character, fans truly fell in love with the one-time NXT Women’s Champion.
So, when she finally turned to the dark side, many were absolutely heartbroken and skeptical of her ability to play a heel. Fortunately, as we know now, Bayley has been truly amazing as a dastardly villain.
Her promos are some of the funniest and most annoying you will ever hear, which is in line with her character. She also tweaked her offense enough to incorporate more traditional heel tactics, which harkens back to the ‘old school” way of working.
Subjectively, her work as a heel has already surpassed her initial run as a hero in NXT. Over the past few years, Bayley has proven time and again that she can excel with anything you give her. She will take that ball and run with it as far as she can.
With the way her storyline with Damage CTRL is going, it seems like we’re going to see another face run from Bayley, and she will absolutely not fall short as the repentant villain trying to seek redemption.
While it’s nothing new for a fresh babyface to become a villain, few competitors can truly lay claim to excelling at both, and Bayley is one of them.
A Credible Dance Partner
It takes two to tango, and it’s no different in sports entertainment or professional wrestling if you prefer that. Bayley has risen to every occasion against whoever she faces in the ring. This claim can be backed up by going back to bouts with Sasha Banks from NXT TakeOver: Respect and their classic at the first NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
We also want to mention her match against Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 2, as well as opposite all three of her fellow Four Horsewomen at NXT TakeOver: Rival, among many others. Bayley has consistently put the work in and pulled her weight to make all these matches special.
Sure, Bayley’s arsenal might not be the flashiest compared to other superstars. However, she’s instinctually gifted when it comes to knowing how to make a crowd react and when to reach deep into her bag of tricks to elevate her, the opponent, and the match.
Consistency
In a fast-moving industry such as professional wrestling, it can take a lot of work to remain relevant for a prolonged period. That said, Bayley has reinvented herself time and again to be able to keep up with the ever-evolving profession that is sports entertainment.
From quintessential face and heel and talk show host to becoming the leader of one of the most successful stables in recent history, Bayley has been consistently making gold with whatever hand she was dealt.
To do that, maintaining a certain level of enthusiasm and dedication is absolutely necessary to excel, and Bayley has no shortage of determination, leading to her steady success.
On top of that, she has proven time and again that if WWE is in a bind, she is a reliable chip to play, with her and Sasha playing a major part in making the pandemic era of WWE compelling.
To sum it up, Bayley is an often-neglected ‘ace’ who deserves more recognition than she is currently getting. Bayley will undoubtedly go down as one of the absolute best to do it, and the WWE Universe and wrestling fans alike should appreciate her work now because she is on top of her game.
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