Ranking The Biggest Rivalries In Wrestling Every Year 1990-2020

6. 2015 - Bayley Vs Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks Bayley
WWE.com

A microcosm of the magic of golden era NXT, Sasha Banks Vs Bayley found two clearly drawn and defined characters getting the exact reactions they were supposed to from an audience 100% invested in every single beat of their rivalry.

During her time in NXT, Banks' had morphed into 'The Boss' - an above-it-all heel that was as frustratingly brilliant and prodigious a talent as she professed to be. Bayley's childlike superfan persona had adjusted so gradually into the hard-grafting 'Hugger' that it almost went without notice until at long last she was ready to turn many many losses into the biggest win of all at the brand' first TakeOver outside of Full Sail University.

And it drew. And it banged.

Stealing the show at a sold out Barclays Centre before doing the same during an Iron Women rematch two months later, the pair completed and confirmed the perception overhaul they'd grafted for on the black-and-gold brand. Toasting the work of their fellow Four Horsewomen as well as Natalya, Emma and Paige, their feud was a celebration of the craft, and their overdue opportunity to become masters of it.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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