Why Sasha Banks Vs Bayley Means So Much To So Many

The successful execution of the Bayley/Sasha Banks payoff and subsequent match is a reward that loyal (too f*cking loyal) WWE fans have been waiting for for five years. Five years and one day if it happens at SummerSlam. The Four Horsewomen cried as they took a bow in Brooklyn, as did fans that needed what they'd just seen as cathartic reminder of why they watched wrestling in the first place. It was through that perfect version of NXT at the time, and the perfect version of a match only that brand could foster. Only, possibly, until now.

Half a decade later and the hope is back yet again. It's here and it's waiting to be satiated with an end result that capitalises on everything that's brought it back in the first place. And the company can't really afford to get it wrong - dwindling numbers in the face of the global b*stard have ripped away the safety net for WWE should they rip away this magnificent thing they have allowed these wrestlers to create.

For much of the summer, it's taken these two ring generals and creative maestros saying "Ding Dong, Hello" to stop even more hardcores saying "f*ck off, goodbye". As was the case in 2015, this feud and match is as much about what it represents as it is the title and storyline dominance they'll fight for. Back then, Banks and Bayley changed the game. Now, only they can save it.