With a WWE Women's division now obsessed with making history just by the virtue of existing on the same plane as their male counterparts, it's easy to forget how 'The Boss' and 'The Hugger' managed it in 2015 by - imagine - delivering a the best match in WWE women's wrestling history as a payoff to an emotion-driven storyline.
Banks was a sensational heel; the Champion, 'The Boss', the best. Babyface Bayley the challenger, the underdog, the great pretender to her opponent's throne. Purity oozed from her determined expression throughout, replacing a more literal representation negated by the PG-era blood ban. Sasha initially soared, smashing her opponent's injured hand with cold vigour before flooring her foe with a plancha to shorten her recovery time.
Bayley's tenacity counted double in the frenzy of it all, particularly when she uncorked a terrifying reverse hurricanrana from the top rope to set up a match-winning Bayley-To-Belly. Her primal discarding of her wrist tape seconds before the move mirrored her long-awaited willingness to throw necessary caution to the wind.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
