10 Times WWE Went Wrong With Bayley On The Main Roster
4. Losing In Her Hometown (Payback 2017)
When it was announced at the onset of 2017 that Payback (a Raw-exclusive event) would be emanating from Bayley's hometown of San Jose, California, it was widely assumed by fans that she would have a significant role on the show. It wasn't imperative that she headlined the event, but she did deserve a prominent position on the card.
Sure enough, she walked into Payback as the Raw Women's champion, and it would have been a feel-good story for her to leave as champion, too. Unfortunately, life is not a fairy tale, and she fell short in her quest to reign supreme in front of her hometown crowd. Rather, it was Alexa Bliss who had her hand raised following her decisive defeat of WWE's resident hugger.
To their credit, the quality of the match was actually excellent and likely the best of Bliss' career to date. Bayley, on the other hand, wasn't too protected in defeat, and the crowd's enthusiasm was killed once she lost. It was yet another example of WWE having the hometown hero lose because they think it puts more heat on the heel.
Bliss was already over with the audience. Bayley needed all the momentum she could get, and here she was unsuccessful when it mattered most.