3 reasons why WWE should resurrect Bayley

Bayley used to be one of the top women in the WWE and she held the RAW Women’s Champion. She was seemingly one of the faces of RAW, and before that was certainly one of the faces of the burgeoning NXT. Now? She wrestles on the Main Event show and is fodder for heels on house shows (like the one in Lincoln, NE last week).

All it took was one bad feud (with Alexa Bliss) and an injury, and Bayley fell from top dog to puppy chow. But with Bliss, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, and Asuka (and possibly Ronda Rousey) on top of the RAW women’s title picture, why would it be worth pushing Bayley now? Well, I'm glad you asked. Here are three reasons why it needs to be done.

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#3 She loves wrestling

She loves that ring

Bayley's passion is not just a part of her character, it’s who she is a person. Listen to her on Chris Jericho’s and Stone Cold Steve Austin’s podcasts. The infatuated way in which she talks about the business is so genuinely contagious, it makes you love wrestling more.

We’ve seen this adoration translate to a connection with the audience before: in NXT. She even inspired a fangirl of her own, Izzie, a young fan that would show up to each NXT taping dressed like Bayley. But we’ve yet to fully see this level of connection come to fruition on the main roster. When we do, it will be something to behold.

#2 She fully "Gets" her character

Bayley knows who she is on screen: a smiling, lovable, hugger.

She's a hugger. Sometimes wrestlers are assigned certain gimmicks or shticks that just seem to not click with the audience. Not so with Bayley. She knows who she is on that screen: a goody-goody babyface that’s determined to hug everyone.

For that, she’s completely lovable. She is supposed to have fun with the audience, as they watch her live out her dream. They are not there to hear Alexa Bliss make fun of her for having never kissed a boy. She knows what the audience wants out of her character. It just feels like the writers don’t.

#3 She's a really good wrestler

Bayley shows off her wrestling prowess.

We saw it countless times in NXT, most notably when she won Match of the Year in an awesome match with Sasha Banks at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn. She had an instant classic again at the next Takeover when she and Banks competed in an Ironwoman Match for the NXT Women’s Championship.

We’ve even seen sparks on her in-ring talent shine through on weekly RAW episodes, but it is usually swept to the side for Bliss or Banks to shine. Also, women’s segments are often just too short in general for any more than one or two people to get over in the allotted time. Either way, despite what she can do between bells, her work is often overlooked or minimized in favour of other Superstars. But she is fully capable of having that one match that instantly makes a feud hot.

Will WWE right the ship? Only time will tell. It's too late for a high profile match for Wrestlemania, but it's never too late for a few big wins. Beating Banks this past Monday is a great start. But after Mania, she needs a well-booked program.

A strong feud with Asuka or Nia Jax would be exactly what she needs to get back on track. But if she goes the way of Emma and Dana Brooke, it will be a missed opportunity on the part of WWE to have a new star on their hands.

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