10 WWE Wrestlers That Went From The Top To The Bottom Then Back Again
8. Bayley
Maybe there'll never be a "Top" taller for women's wrestling in WWE than the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn match between Bayley and Sasha Banks.
Charlotte has come close with several opponents and Ronda Rousey was an all-rounder beyond even wild expectations, but there have been few occasions where the palpable change in the air has married up as well with the in-ring action. It was for women's wrestling in the company what Bret Hart and Steve Austin's WrestleMania 13 match was for the company in general. It didn't just happen, it needed to.
Much like Austin's rise in the aftermath, Bayley's title reign was rich in quality and elegance. When called upon and in the absence of the other three Horsewomen, she carried opponents as gracefully as she did the belt, and her eventual loss to Asuka yielded two contests that both stand up in the loaded field of TakeOver classics.
The main roster got her bang wrong, haphazardly failed to fix it, and then did both her and Sasha Banks dirty after giving them them the first WWE Women's Tag Team Title reign. A panicked heel turn in 2019 was the last act, but nearly a year in and she's finally clicked in the role. Her simmering tension with Sasha Banks remains the best thing on SmackDown by miles, bringing full circle their respective difficult paths between the glorious Then and brave new Now.