WWE Payback 2020: 3 Challengers for Bayley and Sasha Banks

Bayley and Sasha Banks are scheduled to defend the Women’s Tag Team Championships at WWE Payback 2020.

Bayley and Sasha Banks became two-time Women’s Tag Team Champions once they defeated Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross on the June 5, 2020, episode of Friday Night SmackDown. This was a redemptive victory for them because this was an opportunity to pick up from where they left off in their first reign as Women’s Tag Team Champions, which ended abruptly at WrestleMania 35.

In what has been an impeccable second reign as Women’s Tag Team Champions, Bayley and Sasha Banks have been elevating the divisions on Raw, NXT, and SmackDown for the past two months. During that time, they retained their championships against IIconics, Bliss Cross Applesauce, and the makeshift team of Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart.

Now that the WWE is on the road to SummerSlam, many fans may have expected them to defend the Women’s Tag Team Championships at the event. However, since both superstars are occupied with their singles title reigns at the biggest event of the summer, the WWE has decided to book a Women’s Tag Team Championship match for WWE Payback 2020, which takes place a week after.

The following will identify and expatiate on three potential challengers for Bayley and Sasha Banks at WWE Payback 2020.

3.) Bliss Cross Applesauce

As mentioned earlier, Bayley and Sasha Banks defeated Bliss Cross Applesauce to become two-time Women’s Tag Team Champions. However, Bliss and Cross never got their one-on-one rematch. Instead, their rematch was squandered in a triple threat match with the IIconics at WWE Backlash 2020. WWE Payback 2020 would be an ideal stage for Bliss and Cross to get their ‘payback’ against Bayley and Banks, so to speak. However, there are two caveats to consider.

At this moment in time, it seems that Bliss and Cross are not on the best of terms since Cross shoved Bliss on two separate occasions. Also, Bliss has prioritized her storyline with Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman over her Women’s Tag Team Championship aspirations with Nikki Cross. However, with Strowman and Wyatt potentially ending their storyline at SummerSlam, Bliss would be ready to rekindle her team with Cross and get that title rematch they never received.

2.) Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart

As mentioned earlier, Bayley and Sasha Banks defeated Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championship on the June 17, 2020, episode of NXT. In this match, Bayley baited Tegan Nox with a steel chair to distract the referee long enough to help Banks counter Blackheart’s Bridged Double Chicken Wing submission maneuver into the Banks Statement. This underhanded tactic led to their retention.

This was one of the best yet overlooked Women’s Tag Championship matches Bayley and Banks’ title reign, and it should be revisited on PPV. WWE Payback 2020 would be an ideal stage for Nox and Blackheart to get their ‘payback’ against Bayley and Banks for their nefarious stratagems. Before the triple brand battle royal on last week’s Friday Night SmackDown, Bayley and Banks were mocking Nox and Blackheart, so this could a tease of things to come at this PPV.

1.) Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan

The only tag team Sasha Banks and Bayley have not defeated yet is former Riott Squad members, Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan. Their recent reunion has certainly struck a chord in the Women’s Tag Team Division, and this is the most probable direction WWE may be going. Unlike the two aforementioned tag teams, Riott and Morgan don’t need ‘payback’ against Bayley and Banks for anything at the moment, so WWE Payback 2020 would not be the ideal stage, by that logic.

However, it would be remiss to forget the history Bayley and Banks had with the Riott Squad in 2018. During that time, the Riott Squad’s gimmick focused on breaking friendships and Bayley and Banks’ friendship was the one friendship that Riott and Morgan failed to break. Maybe ‘payback’ is still in the works for this matchup, but it just requires the viewer to think outside the box. Maybe dethroning Bayley and Banks will break that friendship once and for all.