One of the biggest angles in professional wrestling is that involving Sasha Banks and Bayley. The two women set the stage with their original singles match back at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. Years later they are poised to deliver another instant classic. However, the question that many people are asking is when. The answer? For best long-term storytelling, Banks and Bayley should not face off until WrestleMania.
Two Fridays ago, Bayley decimated Banks in the most unexpected manner. Stomping on Banks’s injured leg was not enough but wrapping the steel chair around her neck before jumping on it was more than enough to put the former champion on the shelf. While Banks’s in-ring return was advertised across NFL games on Fox this weekend, the WWE should keep her out of the ring. In fact, she should stay out of the building all together. If there is a way this “appearance” can be written off, WWE Creative should take to it because keeping Bayley and Banks apart should be mission critical.
First, Banks needs to stay off television for an extended period. Two weeks is not enough when you look at the beating Bayley gave her. With the upcoming WWE Draft scheduled to occur, Banks should not return to SmackDown in any fashion. Instead, have her drafted over to Raw. Bayley could even call in a “favor” from someone to get her rival off the show and onto the Monday Night Raw brand. Shipping Banks off gives the two stars the space away from each other and prolong this angle.
Next, place Banks on Raw where she can experience a variety of new feuds. She can take on the newly-arrived Mandy Rose, Mickie James, or any of the women that will be a part of RETRIBUTION. The whole point would be to give Banks something new to do, especially heading into Survivor Series. With Bayley as the champion and Banks the captain of Team Raw, the two ladies would not be able to mix things up. But still, WWE should find a way to get them on screen together and hint at the boiling point to come, without letting them engage each other physically. Again, delayed gratification is the name of the game.
Time would bring them to the Royal Rumble. Even though the Four Horsewomen have dominated the showcase match in recent years, this would be the perfect moment to allow Banks her moment and be the last lady standing in the ring. It would not be a surprise when she would demand a title shot at Bayley at the upcoming WrestleMania. That moment alone would set the stage for one of the biggest matches in recent WrestleMania history. Fans have clamored for these two ladies to get a big, one-on-one match against one another, none would be bigger than the grandest stage in wrestling. When looking at the ratings that Bayley and Banks consistently draw together, this match could even main event the entire ordeal.
There are not a lot of examples of long-term storytelling by WWE Creative today. The angle between Sasha Banks and Bayley is one of the few moments where the story has been crafted in a way that fans knew what was coming, but still held on to every step of the way. Now, it is time for these ladies to face off to settle things. WWE should not rush this to get it on the first available PPV. Instead, these ladies can wait until WrestleMania, where they can give us one of the best matches possible.
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