7 Ups And 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Feb 5)
3. Bayley Looks Strong In Defeat
It had been a long time since Bayley looked like she was one of the top female wrestlers on the roster, but Monday’s match against Asuka showed that she still has the skills – they’ve just been forced into hiding after poor booking.
Bayley hung with Asuka for a while, but eventually succumbed to a cross-armbar. During the match, however, the Huggable One got to display a little more fight and fire than she had in recent weeks, similar to how Sasha Banks also had a strong showing against the Empress of Tomorrow last week.
The common denominator here is Asuka, obviously, but also that WWE clearly is trying to build Asuka up by having her win these super-competitive matches against top female superstars. In the process, wrestlers like Bayley who have languished are getting a chance to shine and remind fans that they are pretty damn good in the ring themselves.