Daily DDT
Fansided

Why Bayley is the Future of WWE

By AJ Balano

facebooktwitterreddit

Despite being a one-off, Bayley’s surprise debut at Battleground was just a taste of things to come in the New Era.

Sunday night at Battleground kicked off in perhaps the best way possible, with Bayley being Sasha Banks’ surprise mystery partner in The Boss’ tag team match against WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte, and Dana Brooke.

Bayley received the biggest pop of the night by a mile, and one of the loudest pops in recent memory; yes, it was the opening match at the start of the show with the crowd at its most energetic, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that Bayley is without question the most universally popular superstar in the entire WWE, something the returning Roman Reigns, who may or may not be still positioned as The Guy, could only dream about being at this point in his career.

must read: Bayley Debuts at WWE Battleground 2016: Twitter Reacts

With the New Era officially in swing beginning Monday night, the public faces running the WWE are Shane and Stephanie McMahon, with their father, Vince McMahon slowly but surely stepping into the background. As the fourth generation of the McMahon family steers the ship into the future, it is impossible to not talk about the future without talking about Bayley.

Bayley has managed to accomplish something that not many in WWE or pro-wrestling today has been able to do

Bayley has managed to accomplish something that not many in WWE or pro-wrestling today has been able to do, and that is become and stay, not only a babyface, but an adored, beloved, and endearing babyface. One must possess an inherent natural charisma, which in turn, allows for the fans to be able to connect and relate to you; Bayley has this, oft called the “it” factor. Following in the footsteps of Daniel Bryan and Sami Zayn, Bayley plays the role of the “good guy” that people actually care about and invest their time and emotions in; a lost art in professional wrestling.

However, Bayley has something over Bryan and Zayn, and that is, as cheesy as it may sound, a genuine, pure, whole-heartedness to her. Bayley is nice and friendly, which allows for an even greater connection with the fans than Bryan and Zayn, both who relied on the gritty, never-say-die underdog mentality.

she is a WWE fan who happens to be living her dream as a wrestler working for the WWE

Despite their underdog makeup, not everyone, not even the casual, everyday WWE fan, can relate to the struggles that Bryan and Zayn faced in their respective careers, but they can relate to the concept of a sweet, adorable, almost next-door neighbor fan/friend who dreams of being a wrestler. And that is why Bayley is perhaps the most over superstar in the company: she is a WWE fan who happens to be living her dream as a wrestler working for the WWE.

More from WWE

It’s no secret that practically everyone who works for WWE is/was a fan of WWE, however, certain people exude it and are not afraid to hide it. You can simply see it in their eyes. Bayley is one such person. The last person to have that vibe was John Cena. In fact, there are many comparisons between Bayley and Cena in regards to their overwhelming fan support (despite the historic 50/50 crowd reception Cena got throughout his career, although by now, it may simply be tongue-in-cheek).

Bayley and Cena are solid in-ring workers and both can connect with the audience in ways that not many can or have been able to do. Bayley is someone you can build a promotion around, someone who can be the face of your company. With PG being the backbone of the WWE, Bayley is the perfect representative.

After the incredible pop she got at Battleground, provided the powers that be heard it, WWE would be a fool to not recognize the money-making drawing ability that Bayley could potentially have with the entirety of WWE’s target demographic: men, women, and children of all ages.

In UFC, Dana White capitalized on the star-power and appeal the then-UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, turning her into a marketing sensation for the growing company and featuring her on many a marquee, alongside her male counterparts. WWE has the ability to do this with Bayley and some of the other unanimously well-liked top stars in the New Era right now such as Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Sami Zayn.

More from Daily DDT

Bayley will return to NXT, presumably to challenge Asuka in a rematch for the NXT Women’s Championship at Takeover: Back 2 Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend. After that, one can only hope that she will be brought onto the main roster, full time. She will likely go wherever the WWE Women’s Championship resides, which means she will be on Raw, a natural fit for her to be on the flagship show along with Charlotte and Sasha.

Hogan. Bret. Austin and Rock. Cena. Bryan. All were universally loved and appreciated by the fans of their respective era. Bayley’s immense popularity with literally everyone between the ages of 7 to 47 puts her in rarified air. What may have been dead in the water ten years ago in regards to Bayley’s gimmick is, ironically, the hottest thing going in the company today in terms of a singles superstar, a by-product of the WWE’s shift to PG.

Next: What's Next for WWE NXT's Women's Division?

Pro-wrestling’s become quite cynical and jaded over the decades for a myriad of different reasons, but if WWE doesn’t drop the ball on this, Bayley and her wacky, waving, inflatable tube men could be the great wrestling hope, rainbow-colored tassels and ponytails and all. Babyfaces are back, and wrestling is about to be fun all over again.

Home/WWE