10 Bad Habits WWE MUST Kick
3. Absent Friends
Sasha Banks and Bayley's overdue feud quickly morphed from careful curation to awful aberration. The performers are not only losing countless matches due to a fracture in their friendship - the characters are becoming irreversibly damaged as a result.
Shortly before WrestleMania, Banks and Bayley battled in dreadfully-acted and ill-advised locker room brawl. After weeks of harsh words and half-turns, the two tore into one another backstage. It wasn't an even-handed fight - natural heel Sasha kicked off the conflict by pulling Bayley's hair from behind and slamming her against a wall - but at no point was 'The Boss' presented as a back-jumping backstabber in the process.
Bayley abandoning Sasha in tag matches was for weeks justified, until she herself became the central reason for their main dispute. Was this a heel turn for 'The Hugger?'
No, was the short answer. Neither turned, despite the complete lack of conflict resolution and seemingly obvious need for a proper feud to flesh out their ferocity.
It's since become the biggest disappointment of the week. Bayley will abandon Banks or vice versa and neither will understand it despite the frustrated machinations of a once-invested audience. The two had one of the greatest matches in company history less than three years ago - such a thing occurring as a result of this programme feels several lifetimes away.