Bayley's Heel Turn & the Reunion of The Boss N Hug Connection
Sasha returned to WWE with a vengeance. She came back for everything that had ever been taken from her and Bayley was on that list. Her partner and team mate had been separated from her after Wrestlemania. That was why she was irritated when she was asked about Bayley during the backstage interview that night. Not only was she watching Becky Lynch, carry the title she wants but she also has to endure Becky tagging with her best friend.
Bayley is the only person Sasha has ever cared about. Last year she said she would always love Bayley. Even before what transpired at the end of the match, Sasha's concern for Bayley when she got thrown out of the ring by Nikki was clear. So when Bayley took the chair from her, Sasha didn’t understand. To her, it seemed like her best friend wasn’t on her side anymore. But Bayley stayed loyal and finished the job for her.
Sasha has always called Bayley her hero. And Bayley has been her hero - protecting her from getting hurt and even putting her own body on the line to save Sasha. But Bayley has also protected her in another way. Bayley knew Sasha had been fighting back this side of her we’ve been seeing lately. Bayley was the one stopping her from returning to her old ways. Whenever Sasha would lose her temper, Bayley would calm her down. She knew that once she let it out, there would be no going back. So not only was she always protecting Sasha from harm, she was protecting The Boss from herself. Look at the damage Sasha has done since she returned. What she did and said to Natalya was unforgivable. She has been ruthless because she was on her own. The door has been opened and the only person who can close it is Bayley. Which is why when Bayley snatched the chair from Sasha, it didn’t just look like she was saving Becky, it was like she was once again saving Sasha from herself.
But that wasn’t the case. Bayley has changed. She supports the depravity now. She encouraged Sasha to attack Charlotte on Smackdown. Even Sasha was surprised. All this time she had been trying to be “good” because she didn’t want to lose Bayley. But now she knows her best friend sees the real her and still loves her. Now she’s going to be unstoppable.
While Sasha is finally showing her true colours, Bayley has evolved. Ever since she got on Smackdown, she’s shown a more a more aggressive side which has helped her accomplish so much on the blue brand. And though her partnership with Sasha toughened her up and made her wiser, she’s been on this path alone. But she’s always going to have Sasha’s back no matter what. She proved that when she attacked Becky. But was it all about Sasha?
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“If you don’t understand me by now…”
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This descent into darkness began months ago. It all started after they lost the tag team titles and Sasha left WWE. The night after Wrestlemania, Bayley had a match with Alexa. Throughout that match Alexa mocked her for losing the belts, and you could see how frustrated Bayley was. Then she did something she had never done before. Something very out of character for her. She tried to cheat to win. It didn’t work out and she lost the match, but that was the first sign. Even Corey Graves pointed it out: “Isn’t she supposed to be the hero and the role model?” Losing the tag titles did something to Sasha and Bayley. It made Sasha return to her old ways and something snapped inside Bayley.
That’s why she has been so very aggressive when people doubt her. Whether it’s pushing Charlotte off a chair, smacking a drink out of Alexa’s hand, or hitting Nikki Cross first, Bayley hasn’t taken anyone’s crap since Wrestlemania. Pushing Sonya and Mandy off of the ladder, sucker-punching Charlotte and getting even with Ember are not things the old Bayley would have done. She was frustrated when she lost the tag titles and she’s frustrated now as she’s trying to prove that she deserves to be the Smackdown Women’s Champion. All of this has been building up inside of her. Like a ticking timebomb. So when she saw the opportunity to not only show her loyalty to Sasha, but to let it all out, she took it.
She’s been going down this dark path on her own for a while and Sasha just happens to be along for the ride now. Its not just about being loyal to Sasha. It’s about being better than Charlotte and being treated like Becky. It’s about being respected. She has always wanted people to take her seriously and now she’s going to force them to. But how far is she willing to go?
The next night Bayley came out with smiles and the Bayley-Buddies like normal. After all nothing has changed, to her. Her promo on Smackdown revealed two things we already know: that she’s loyal to Sasha and she’s a role model. She’s trying to teach kids about loyalty. She doesn’t think anything she’s done is wrong. She’s always been the good guy, the role model, the hero. She doesn’t understand why people don’t get that. To her, she’s not the villain here, Charlotte is.
Charlotte also said something that stuck out that night: “what you see is what you get”. You know what to expect when it comes to Charlotte. And that used to be applicable to Bayley. But now you have this person with a very child-friendly aesthetic hitting people first and attacking them with weapons. It’s almost like the Firefly Funhouse, everything is “supposed” seem cute and perfect but you know it’s not. That unsettling feeling you get is because you know there’s darkness underneath. That’s what’s happening with Bayley right now and it makes her an even more interesting character. She’s unpredictable. Sasha didn’t know what Bayley was going to do when she took the chair out of her hands. She also didn’t expect Bayley to encourage her the next night on Smackdown. People think Sasha is going to betray her sooner or later, now that she’s changed, Bayley might end up being the traitor.
So what’s happening with Bayley? She’s not the ‘babyface’ anymore but she doesn’t “look” like the typical heel. Why? Because she’s delusional. She still sees herself as the hero despite her recent actions.
Is she still the hero but just isn’t playing by the book anymore? No, it’s way more complicated than that. She’s become self-righteous. Comparing herself to Charlotte shows that. Like “hey I know it looks like I’m doing some bad stuff but at least I’m not Charlotte, right?” She has become a hypocrite. And she’s somewhat aware of it. If she was still connected to her moral compass she wouldn’t align herself with Sasha, she would be trying to stop her. She’s living in this state of semi-denial.
But does that make her the “bad guy”? After all, she cares about elevating her title and she still cares about kids. And if Bayley is the bad guy here, what does that mean for Charlotte? Charlotte the evil Queen is definitely not the one we’re supposed to root for in this story, right? It all just shows people can be more than one thing.
It seems like WWE is slowly moving away from the labels of babyfaces and heels. Look at Becky Lynch who starts fights and insults everyone. Does that make her a bad guy? Then we have Sasha Banks who says heartless things to people and does whatever she can to hurt them, yet still has a soft spot for Bayley. That doesn’t make her actions inexcusable. Even Alexa Bliss who used to only look out for herself has evolved. Now she shows concern for Nikki and even saves her when she’s in trouble. These characters aren’t one-dimensional anymore. Things aren’t as black and white as they used to be. And Bayley is an example of that. Right now, she’s somewhere in the middle. She’s not ‘good’ but she’s not ‘evil’. Not yet.