WWE WrestleMania 33: Is Bayley vs. Sasha Banks Inevitable After the Show?

Will Sasha Banks vs. Bayley be the next big rivalry after WrestleMania?

For the second straight year, WrestleMania 33 will see the WWE women’s division put on display in a triple threat match that could be a potential showstopper.

Representing the flagship show of Monday Night Raw, Bayley will be waltzing into her very first WrestleMania to defend the Raw Women’s Championship against bitter rival Charlotte Flair, and long-time best friend Sasha Banks in a triple threat match.

The narrative has very much focused on Bayley’s journey to self-gratification as champion – one who can get the job done without the help of others by her side.

Bayley has had to weather the storm of Nia Jax, Dana Brooke and Charlotte over the last few months, and just when she finally closed in on the top of the mountain, Sasha Banks just had to push her those last few edges to gain the assist.

Must Read: 10 Worst Booking Decisions in WrestleMania History

As a result of “The Boss” aiding Bayley to victory not once, but twice now, the titleholder’s inaugural reign has been somewhat squandered in terms of pride since she couldn’t get the job done alone – or rather, wasn’t given the opportunity to do so.

It seems as though having Sasha Banks take such a vested interest in Bayley’s every move isn’t a mere coincidence. After all, though Banks has been successful in defeating Charlotte for the championship on multiple occasions, she never did emerge successful on pay-per-view. Could it be that Sasha opted to help Bayley, not because they’re friends, but because she sees Bayley as an easy target?

The prospect of a Sasha Banks heel turn has been thrown around since late last year, and though the women’s division on Monday Night Raw has been severely lacking in babyface names, the recent development of Dana Brooke turning on Charlotte Flair could be an indication that WWE are swapping the roles around.

More from Daily DDT

• It’s time for Adam Cole and MJF to drop the ROH tag team titles
• Tom Lawlor talks MLW return, AEW opportunity, CM Punk’s WWE return and more
• Eddie Kingston stands to gain the most from the AEW Continental Classic
• Trish Stratus on WWE NXT would help elevate that women’s division
• Randy Orton signs with SmackDown to go after The Bloodline

Having Dana as a babyface won’t garner her Sasha-levels of fan support, but it would fill that void temporarily at least, which is going to be a necessity if WrestleMania 33 acts as the catalyst for Sasha’s change of demeanor.

We’ve seen Sasha and Bayley lock up a few times since the latter’s debut, but up until now it’s just been friendly competition. Those who followed NXT in 2015, however, will know that Banks and Bayley have weaved together some of the finest, most emotionally-driven contests in the brand’s history.

Their bouts at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn and NXT TakeOver: Respect – in a 30-Minute Iron Woman Match – both for the NXT Women’s Championship, were pivotal in taking women’s wrestling to the next level within WWE, and undoubtedly paved the way for future Raw main events, Hell in a Cell matches, tables matches and much more for the female locker room.

Due to its sheer impact in NXT alone, it’s just a matter of time before Sasha Banks and Bayley renew their immensely heated rivalry on Raw. Not for healthy competition, not to qualify for a future title opportunity, just two women beating the heck out of each other out of sheer animosity and disdain for one another.

More from WrestleMania

• The 5 top WrestleMania match options for CM Punk
• WWE WrestleMania 40 Night 2 Early Predictions: Cody Rhodes Will END Roman Reigns
• Three big matches to kick off Jade Cargill’s WWE run
• WWE WrestleMania 40 Night 1 VERY EARLY Match Card Predictions: CM Punk Will Dethrone Seth Rollins
• WWE: 5 men’s matches that changed the company’s direction

Luckily, the seeds are already being planted for Banks to turn on Bayley – be it in the final days before WrestleMania or at the spectacle itself – with Banks sprinkling crumbs of doubt in the psyche of the reigning champion.

Her words of encouragement can be seen as insincere, with “The Boss” clearly displaying ulterior motives as she cites how nobody thinks Bayley is a worthy champion. It would work well for Sasha to re-establish a vindictive heel persona by luring Bayley into a false sense of safety, only to get the jump on her and walk out of WrestleMania with the title.

As noted, the thin roster makes for a limited amount of options as the weeks go by, but two separate rivalries – between Dana Brooke and Charlotte, and Bayley and Sasha Banks respectively  going forward from WrestleMania into the summer will do well to add a breath of fresh air to the division at a much-needed time.

Next: WrestleMania 33 - 5 Ways To Improve On Last Year

As it stands, Bayley has already fought Nia Jax and Charlotte on multiple occasions, as well as Dana Brooke, so the only active name on Raw that would spark interest if they engaged in a program together is Sasha Banks. As such, it may be inevitable that these two come to blows after their scuffle in Orlando on April 2.