WWE has mixed results with translating the success of the NXT wrestlers into mainstream popularity. Sometimes, the problem is the gimmick. The Vaudevillains and Bo Dallas worked better in smaller, more intimate venues, where their idiosyncrasies would not be overpowered by Raw's production values and slick presentation.
But other times, it's the result of poor booking. For whatever reason, the creative team either doesn't get what made the NXT wrestler special or doesn't want to get it. And this is the current, sad state of former NXT Women's Champion and former Raw Women's Champion Bayley, who has been booked into the ground by the Raw creative team.
It wasn't always this way. When Bayley debuted on Raw, her stock was at an all-time high. She was NXT's darling--the superfan who had become champion--and she was a vicarious thrill for anyone who dreamed of being in WWE. Along that journey to the top of the NXT women's division, she had a number of incredible matches: against Asuka, Nia Jax, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch.
The crowning achievement was her title-winning showdown against Sasha Banks at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, in 2015. It had technical precision, back-and-forth storytelling, and pageantry; it was one of the finest WWE matches of the year, and it was the best WWE women's match in the company's history.
Was the match technically perfect? No. But in wrestling, that's not the end-all, be-all. For a match to be considered classic, it needs emotional context. Why are these two characters fighting? Why do they hate each other? What are their motivations? And Bayley had a well-told, underdog narrative that was easy to follow and empathize with.
At the beginning of her journey, she lost to many an NXT wrestler, usually by a hair. And eventually, Bayley realized that to be successful, she had to get over her impostor syndrome and her "just happy to be here" attitude. The stars in her eyes disappeared and were replaced by steely flint. And the fans loved her for it--so much, that when she debuted on Raw, the response was deafening. Listen to that chanting. And look at those smiles.
But unfortunately, rather than allowing Bayley to develop beyond her NXT character as a new, confident Bayley, WWE Creative did a soft reboot of her old storyline. They made her a fangirl underdog again; she had to relearn her confidence despite the past two years of character development. It reminds me of the Shrek franchise; with every new movie, Shrek learns, again, that he's more than just an ogre. WWE fans hate this sort of predictability. They want something new: a character who grows and changes in new directions, rather than rehashing the same insecurities and conflicts.
For example, Bayley's been using the same, tired "Ever since I was a little girl…" themed promo for over a year. Enough already. And it's made worse because she's reciting scripted lines instead of speaking from the heart. Now admittedly, Bayley has never been strong on the mic. But at least when she was unscripted, she sounded natural; she stammered and spoke in an unrehearsed cadence, and her biggest weakness as a wrestler became her strength; that awkwardness made her relatable.
The old Bayley used to stand up for herself. She was sweet and forgiving, but she also had a deep sense of right and wrong, and she would go on the offensive if the situation called for it. In her recent feud with Alexa Bliss, however, Bayley allowed herself to be treated like a doormat. And during their climactic, kendo stick fight at Extreme Rules, Bayley couldn't even bring herself to hit her opponent with the stick. Underdog narratives only work if the underdog asserts herself at the end of the story. Otherwise, there's no growth, and nobody learns anything.
And this entire time, Bayley has been BBFs with Sasha Banks. Think about that. Her archrival--the woman with whom she's had the best in-ring chemistry--is her ally and rarely her opponent. WWE should have used their NXT feud to promote a Raw feud for the ages. Now, it's been over a year since Bayley debuted on Raw. Banks should have stabbed Bayley in the back by this point, but here's still no heel turn in sight.
But what if the company turned Bayley heel instead of Banks? It would be an incredible swerve. It would finally put these two women on a collision course with one another. And the motivations for the heel turn are self-evident and meta; she's tired of being the nice girl, saying the same old platitudes, and being taken advantage of.
Imagine if in the middle of a Sasha Banks match, Bayley ran out to the ring, as she always does. The fans would immediately assume that she's out there to help Banks. But instead, Bayley would attack her best friend or ignores her cries for help.
Bayley doesn't even have to change her wardrobe or theme song. Instead, she could follow Sami Zayn's route; turn every babyface characteristic up to maximum, until it becomes rage-inducing and irritating. Zayn brought up an excellent point on a recent podcast; that smiling while doing something evil generates a lot more heat than scowling. The latter is expected. But the former is dissonant and off-putting. Like in this promo with AJ Lee, where Bayley obliviously tramples on AJ's feelings and implies that she's a stalker, all while smiling the entire time. Done properly, this version of the character could be a lot of fun to watch.
Up until a few months ago, it would have been crazy to consider a change this radical, to a character who had been extremely successful. But at this point, Bayley no longer generates the pop that she used to, and fans no longer chant her name. By staying the same, she'll continue to draw less and less of a reaction. On the other hand, a heel turn would be shocking and would give fans some time away from the original, giddy, try-hard Bayley they once loved. And when she finally goes back to those old ways, the fans will value what they missed.