Bayley: 5 things you should know 

#2. Not being called up to the main roster was instrumental

WWE Superstar Bayley

On the July 13, 2015, episode of RAW, Stephanie McMahon announced a revolution that would forever alter the landscape of women's wrestling. As part of this newfound revolution, three NXT call ups were introduced to the main roster: Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks. Noticeably absent from the call ups was fellow Four Horsewoman Bayley, who would stay in NXT to carry the mantle as NXT Women's Champion.

The move was difficult to swallow at first,

"I heard rumblings of them going and I was not. I was like, 'What did I do wrong?' I had just broken my hand and was like, 'Is this holding me back?' I was able to wrestle with my cast on, so that couldn't have been it. I thought of every possible thing that I could have done wrong."

Bayley's fellow Four Horsewomen texted her offering her words of encouragement and sympathy. Bayley "hated" that,

"I didn't like that I was not there and I didn't want them to feel that way in their debut."

She watched her friends' main roster debuts from her couch,

"I kind of had mixed feelings. I wished I could be there, but more than anything I was just so happy to see them being there. I knew once they were there that everything was going to change and I knew they were going to make my path a lot easier. I was like, 'OK, you guys get the work started and when I get there it will be a little bit easier for me. At least I'll have friends when I get there.'"

Staying on the NXT brand for an additional year was instrumental to her career. Bayley looks back to not being called as a professional turning point,

"Now looking back, that year in NXT by myself without them I had nobody to run to. I had nobody to rely on. I had a brand new roster and I became the NXT Women's Champion. That was the biggest year of my career. I learned so much about myself. I learned so much more in the ring. I was able to take more of a leadership role and travel the world. That was when NXT started going to the UK and going everywhere for the first time and I was doing it as the Women's Champion."

Bayley added,

"I don't think I would have been the person I am, or the performer I am now if I didn't have that year by myself because I had nobody to rely on except myself."