8 Wrestlers Who Stayed In NXT Far Too Long
2. Bayley
Without NXT’s Four Horsewomen, there’s no WWE Women’s Revolution. Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, and Bayley are the company’s female cornerstones, and women’s wrestling wouldn’t be where it is today without their rise to prominence in NXT.
Bayley was always the group’s underdog, but her role in the movement’s success can’t be understated. Her matches with Sasha are considered among the best women’s contests in WWE history, and her rise from lowly also-ran to NXT Women’s Champion is one of the best stories WWE have told in years. She is as important as any of her contemporaries, and perhaps even more so.
Charlotte, Sasha, and Becky moved-up to the main roster in July 2015, but Bayley didn’t. This was okay at first: Bayley still hadn’t held the Women’s Title, and deserved an opportunity to do so before moving on. Besides, the division had been left woefully shorthanded by her peers’ departures. Bayley would anchor it in their absence, and everything would be rosy.
As the months progressed, however, Bayley’s presence in NXT became less and less justifiable. She had a long run as Champion before eventually losing to Asuka last April, but her last NXT match didn’t come until August 20th this year: over a year after the other Horsewomen had ridden-off to pastures new.
Bayley was always one of NXT’s most popular babyfaces, and yes, her prolonged presence definitely helped the brand, but her call-up was long over due by the time she made it to Raw.