Bayley and Sasha Banks have been confirmed to be appearing on tonight’s episode of WWE Raw to show off their new Tag Titles, but what else could happen?
One night removed from NXT TakeOver: In Your House, WWE Raw is set to emanate live from the WWE Performance Center. Which is exactly where it’s emanated since whenever this no crowd era of wrestling first began. Expect tonight is going to be different. Tonight’s episode of Raw is going to be – for lack of a better word – invaded by two SmackDown Superstars in the form of Sasha Banks and Bayley.
No, the invasion is not due in part to the new Wild Card Rule 2: Electric Buggalo – The Brand-to-Brand Invitational Redux. Instead, it will be because they are the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – which they won last Friday, in case you missed the latest SmackDown – and as we know, holding those belts lets the champions roam free across all three brands with no hassle.
Last night, right after TakeOver, WWE took the chance to announce on social media that Sasha Banks and Bayley are set to make an appearance on the red brand. But for what reason? To put the tag team division on notice? Gloat about their title win? We have no idea. WWE failed to specify that little ingredient.
However, that’s what fun little slideshows like this is all about, right? To speculate wildly and just guess about what could happen next? Let’s start speculating wildly.
Start a feud/match with Bianca Belair
This one might be more wishful thinking than a full blown prediction.
Bianca Belair debuted on the main roster at WrestleMania earlier this year and as we know, she goes here now. Sometimes. Sometimes, she goes here. We actually haven’t seen Bianca Belair in attendance since – (checks calendar) – geez, April; two months after her Raw debut. Or maybe you’ve seen her wrestle these last few weeks on Main Event, but that’s assuming anyone watches main event.
Point is that Bianca Belair has the star power, in-ring charisma and phenomenal wrestling ability that demands a big spotlight. An actual television spotlight on a show that people actually watch.
Not only should tonight be the night that the EST of WWE make her return to the red brand, but she should enter the ring with the two top champions of SmackDown and, technically as tag champs, the entire WWE: Sasha Banks and Bayley.
Maybe it could mark the start of an inter-brand feud (maybe with Naomi as Belair’s partner?) with the two. Or a one-off match between Belair and either Bayley or Sasha Banks. Whatever happens, just please, WWE, get Bianca Belair back on Raw to wrestle someone. Anyone. Have her do literally anything.
Start a feud with Charlotte Flair
The last time that Charlotte Flair shared a ring with Bayley, the SmackDown Women’s Champion beat her over on the blue brand last month. If Flair’s not steaming for revenge, the Queen would understandably be walking into Raw peeved anyway after just losing her NXT Women’s Championship to Io Shirai.
I would say she could take the edge off by challenging Bayley to a rematch, challenging Sasha Banks one on one, or grabbing a partner and getting a tag team match going, but Flair already has herself booked in a bout with the Raw Women’s Champion, Asuka.
However, making a simple prediction and know how most WWE booking works, let’s say that Charlotte confronts Bayley and Sasha Banks at the start of the show. Let’s say that a war of words ensues that leads to Flair dropping somebody and running off like a scowling dog (sorry, I’ve been watching a lot of AEW; dammit, JR).
Fast forward to later in the night where Banks and Bayley interfere into Asuka vs. Flair, causing a No Contest, which then gets turned into a tag match, compelling Charlotte’s enemy Asuka to suddenly decide to tag with Flair … for reasons.
Knowing how WWE booking works, that’s probably exactly what’s happening tonight.
Some silliness with The IIconics
Here is some more wishful thinking on my part, but this go round, it actually does not sound too out of the ordinary to sound impossible.
The IIconics returned recently to challenge Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross for their Women’s Tag Team Championship, but failed to do so. They picked up a win over the then-champs some weeks back, but couldn’t win the following week’s title match. Granted, it was via DQ, which opened the door for the feud to continue, but Bayley and Banks ended up winning the belts two weeks after that.
Although the championships have changed hands, The IIconics and their pursuit to win back their titles likely has not. Perhaps we get a confrontation tonight between the Boss ‘N’ Hug Connection (or is it the Boss ‘N’ Bully Connection now?) against The IIconics. And with both teams being known for utilizing some comedy in their heel promos, expect an entertaining, silly segment to follow.
And that, most likely, should be followed by an actual wrestling match (since this is the wrestling business and that’s how things happen in a wrestling ring). Maybe one right after the promo, opening the door for a title match.