WWE Raw: Sasha Banks and Bayley need to get their revenge
After Nia Jax eliminated Sasha Banks from her own team at Survivor Series, she and Tamina teamed up to defeat Banks and Bayley on WWE Raw, with Nia cutting a backstage promo directed towards “The Legit Boss”.
Nia Jax is arguably WWE Raw’s biggest heel right now, as she received a breath-taking amount of boos at Survivor Series. Los Angeles welcomed Nia with all their vitriol after her punch forced Becky Lynch out of a Survivor Series match against Ronda Rousey, and WWE seem happy to run with all this animosity. On a roster that includes Drew McIntyre and Dean Ambrose, Nia has the most heat of anyone on Monday nights.
Before long, Nia will have a match against the Raw Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey, as she earned a title opportunity by winning the Evolution Battle Royal, eliminating Zelina Vega and Ember Moon at the end of the match to seize the day.
However, Nia has currently directed her ire towards long-time foe Sasha Banks. At Survivor Series, Nia stole the glory for herself, in a power move that was reminiscent of Triple H’s elimination of Kurt Angle last year.
On Raw, she explained that Banks was “dead weight”, and she wouldn’t have a positive impact on the match anyway. Nia justified this by pointing out to Kayla Braxton that she was the sole survivor, so she didn’t need the “help” from Banks.
Banks and Bayley are the favorites to win the Women’s Tag Team Championships, whenever they finally arrive, but they stood no chance against the imposing duo of Nia and Tamina. It was an easy victory for Nia and Tamina on Raw, as Nia pinned Bayley after battering “The Huggable One” and hitting her with a “Samoan Drop”.
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
The journey to the tag team titles will be a difficult one for Banks and Bayley, regardless of their past accomplishments, and this loss to Nia and Tamina proves it. There will be several worthy contenders on SmackDown Live, such as the IIconics and the electrifying pairing of Naomi and Asuka, but the Boss and Hug Connection has already been tested greatly on Raw against the Riott Squad and Nia and Tamina.
On the one hand, I’m sure that Nia’s odious actions against Banks at Survivor Series were WWE’s way of getting her more heat and nothing more. They know that Banks was the most popular wrestler in the match with the crowd, so it’s easy to get more heat on Nia by having her act like a monster against her own teammate, especially someone as well-liked as Banks. The additional victory and comments on Raw were just a means of wrapping everything up and pushing forward to Nia’s match against Rousey, which will take place at TLC, with maximal heat.
Storyline continuity and tying up all the loose ends may not matter to WWE, especially when it involves someone who is too talented to “need” any help like Sasha, but they matter to me.
Kurt Angle got to one-up Triple H at WrestleMania 34, though Rousey technically did most of the work, and Banks needs her revenge against an opponent she’s better than. Recall that Banks is 2-1 against Nia in televised matches, if we include Gauntlet matches, using her technical wrestling ability and guile to overcome Nia’s power.
Banks has been the main target of Nia’s hostility over the past few days, but Bayley was also targeted as the woman pinned in the tag match.
So the best way for both of these women to get their revenge on Nia and Tamina is to beat them in the finals of a Women’s Tag Title Tournament, even if it’s only the finals of the Raw bracket. Sure, the Riott Squad have been a constant thorn in their sides, but Banks and Bayley have already shown they are up to the task of defeating those three cheaters.
Next. 3 Predictions For Royal Rumble Winners. dark
As contemptible as Nia and Tamina have been, including making fun of Kayla B for having her car towed in Los Angeles of all places, they don’t need to cheat to win; they know they have the talent to destroy their opponents in a fair fight.
It’s up to Banks and Bayley to go out there and show the world that they are that much better with just the right blend of chemistry, heart, brains, and wrestling ability.