credit: WWE.com
RAW Women’s Championship: Bayley (c) vs Alexa Bliss
During the superstar shake-up on the April 3rd RAW, the two brands swapped former champions, and top-notch heels in Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair. On paper, it seems that maybe Smackdown Live got the better of the deal in acquiring Charlotte, a 5-time women’s champion with a legitimate claim to being the best female wrestler to ever grace the WWE roster. But in Bliss, RAW picked up not only a former 2-time champion at only 25 years old, but also a future bona fide superstar.
So it wasn’t surprising to see Bliss inserted directly into the women’s championship picture on the red brand. With Bayley, a natural and loveable baby face and Bliss, the perfect, conniving, self-centered heel, the pairing is a match made in heaven. Don’t be surprised in the least to see this feud to either continue right after Payback or pick up again later this year. It’s just too perfect to not try and get the most out of it. And as long as they’re given time to work Sunday night, this ought to be a great match.
Unfortunately for Bliss, there are three things going against her at Payback. For one, Bayley has only had the belt since early March and she’s way too hot right now to lose it. Two, since winning the championship the company has been teasing a Bayley/Sasha Banks fallout and feud and that has the potential to be a massive money-maker. And three, Payback is taking place in San Jose, just about 40 minutes outside Bayley’s hometown of Newark, California. It’s very rare that a champion drops his or her belt in front of their home crowd. With all that being said, Payback doesn’t look like a good night for “Five Feet of Fury”. Bayley retains.
Winner and still champion: Bayley