Wrestling Forward: Sasha Banks, Bayley Just Keep Changing The Game

Today’s “Wrestling Forward” celebrates Sasha Banks and Bayley becoming the new Women’s Tag Team Champions, discusses the growing AEW Women’s Division, and touches on Buddy Murphy’s Cruiserweight Championship reign.

The Boss’N’Hug Connection were the odds-on favorites to win the new Women’s Tag Team Championships at the WWE Elimination Chamber Pay Per View last night, and while there were some good arguments for the other tag teams, WWE made the right choice.

It’s a full-circle moment for Sasha and Bayley, whose journey to becoming a tag team technically began at the Elimination Chamber Pay Per View last year. Both women competed inside the structure with Alexa Bliss’s Raw Women’s Championship on the line, and Sasha betrayed Bayley when the two were working together to gain an advantage over Bliss. Sasha had absolutely no reason to attack Bayley when she was perched on top of the cage, yet she couldn’t help herself.

Was it jealousy? Villainous instincts? An unwillingness to admit her close feelings for Bayley, a woman she’s had acclaimed wars with inside the squared circle?

That moment began a series of matches, brawls, and harsh words over the course of a few months, and while fans were disappointed that we didn’t get to a WrestleMania – or even a SummerSlam – match between them, this payoff means so much more.

When Sasha said, “I love you,” to Bayley, I felt that. When Sasha and Bayley did everything to protect each other in the ring as a tag team, sacrificing themselves for their only goal – winning matches and achieving greatness together – I felt that. And when these two living legends became the first Women’s Tag Team Champions, celebrating their win in front of the grateful Toyota Center crowd…I. Felt. That.

Sure, it wouldn’t have been such a bad thing for Sasha and Bayley to lose, tear their hair out in frustration at coming up short in a gimmicked match after all the hard work they’ve put in, and then beat a heel tag team like the IIconics at WrestleMania 35…but they didn’t need a “scratch and claw” story.

Scratch that. They didn’t need another scratch and claw story, because this journey to becoming the first Women’s Tag Team Champions has been the emotional, arduous climb. Think about how amazing these two women have been in the ring over the past few months, studying hours of film to build the kind of attention to detail that any tag team in this world would praise. Think about all the low-stakes tag matches women have had on WWE Television, yet knocked out of the park, exerting a thousand times the effort that the people in charge of the show did in thinking out their storylines.

Sasha and Bayley have found ways to uplift those around them and proudly represent women’s wrestling in WWE. Any of these talented tag teams would have legitimized the Women’s Tag Team Championships by winning last night (like, did you see how good the IIconics were??), but by putting the titles on the best tag team, WWE has made the right choice.

These two women are already changing (tag team) wrestling for women in WWE; the titles just give them a bigger platform to do that.

The story of Sasha and Bayley winning gold together has been told for a year, and there just isn’t a purer photo than the one below; it encapsulates all the emotions that this victory brought.

And now, all four members of the Four Horsewomen can say that they won a *first* championship. (How’s that for some promo material against a different quartet?)

AEW Women’s Division Is One Of Wrestling’s Most Important Topics

Brandi Rhodes is in charge of AEW’s Women’s Division, and, so far, she has done an amazing job of building the division. While only Britt Baker, Penelope Ford, Kylie Rae, and Nyla Rose have been officially signed by the new promotion, that’s because Rhodes is being careful.

There are so many great talents they can sign and so many qualified women interested in changing the game with AEW, but a roster has to be carefully constructed to ensure that AEW has the ability to use everyone; they know they can’t fall into the same trap as other promotions.

Her patience with creating a new title is also understandable and follows that same logic. How can a champion be crowned before the fans get to know the roster? Can we even begin discussing a champion with just four women officially on the roster, too?

Some fans were worried that promotions like AEW could sign too many wrestlers from independent promotions in other countries, specifically Japan, but AEW’s working relationship with TJPW could be an example of an ideal solution. AEW gets to book wrestlers like Aja Kong and Yuka Sakazaki, pay them, give them a platform, and benefit from their excellent work without taking away from the parent promotion; heck, a promotion like TJPW could theoretically benefit greatly from AEW’s exposure.

AEW’s current four women on the roster are completely different characters who wrestle different styles, but all four of them are talented and have extraordinary potential. None of these four women have peaked yet, and fans can still buy any of them as significant players in AEW. Signing Rose as the first openly trans wrestler in a major promotion was also a huge move, because it’s the sort of forward-thinking that can get everyone to buy into AEW and maybe even slowly remove the bigotry in wrestling.

I’m excited to see who else AEW signs for their Women’s Division, because there are so many great options. Diva Dirt Editor in Chief Kristen Ashly spoke to Barbi Hayden, who stated that she recently had a meeting with Brandi Rhodes. Hayden would be an awesome signing for AEW, for example, and it will be interesting to see if we hear about more names on their proverbial wishlist. Because there are SO many great women’s wrestlers out there for AEW to sign.

Their Women’s Division will be a game-changer – in a lot of ways, it already is thanks to Rose’s signing – so please keep an eye out on how this division develops ahead of their first match at Double or Nothing (a Triple Threat between Rae, Rose, and Baker).

Buddy Murphy Just Keeps Killing It

When Buddy Murphy defeated Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship in his hometown of Melbourne at WWE Super Show-Down in October, it was one of the most emotional moments of the year. The crowd went absolutely bonkers when Murphy became the first man to kick out of the Lumbar Check, and they were in a state of ecstasy when he pinned Alexander via Murphy’s Law.

Since then, Murphy has dominated the Cruiserweight Division, as the championship hasn’t slipped one bit in prestige since Alexander dropped the title – and Alexander was a damn good champion to get us started.

Murphy’s latest match, a pre-show contest for the title against Akira Tozawa, was an absolute banger. Though Tozawa once defeated Neville on Raw for the Cruiserweight Championship in surprising fashion, this was the best match of the former Titus Worldwide member’s (yes, I do like reminding myself of that) career.

It seems like Murphy has that impact when he’s in the ring. Ali, Alexander, Mark Andrews, Kalisto and now Tozawa are among the many opponents Murphy has shared the ring with in great matches. An unfathomably great athlete and an unselfish seller, Murphy’s matches always deliver and take place at break-neck speed…yet the story-telling never feels rushed.

While Murphy may be running out of challengers, he’s been so good since getting a lifeline with 205 Live last year that it would only be fitting for him to defend the Cruiserweight Championship on the WrestleMania main card for the first time in this belt’s history. Lord knows the Cruiserweight Division has earned it, given how awesome their matches have been on every PPV.