6. Bayley vs Sasha Banks
The NXT feud between Sasha Banks and Bayley is often cited as the first step in the Women’s Revolution where female WWE competitors finally started being taken seriously, and it’s easy to see why. Not only did these two deliver two of the best matches of the year in 2015, they had one whopper of a storyline as well.
By the summer of 2015, 3/4 of WWE’s Four Horsewomen were called up to the main roster–with Banks finishing up her final months down there as NXT Women’s Champion–but Bayley was left in the dust. With Banks being the vicious heel that she was, she rubbed it in Bayley’s face every chance she got. That is, until Bayley finally came into her own, and defeated The Boss for her title at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn.
After retaining her title in an Iron Man rematch at NXT Takeover: Respect — marking the first time women main evented a WWE Network special — the enemies gained a mutual respect for one another. From there, a friendship blossomed that bled onto the main roster when Bayley finally got the call up a year later. Since then, Bayley and Banks have had an on-again-off-again slow burner of a rivalry.
As of now, they’re settling on being friends as The Boss and Hug Connection. But who knows if and when that’s going to change?