#258: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley, NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn (8/22/2015).
This is for Banks' NXT Women's Championship.
Triple H could see what a lot of fans were seeing: NXT was becoming the hottest thing about all of WWE. Rebranded from the old FCW developmental territory, NXT soon became a house for some of independent and international wrestlingâs hottest commodities. It was also a proving ground for new wrestlers to be groomed into the mega stars of tomorrow. One such case is this match here, which not only skyrocketed two women whoâd only known NXT, but also completely changed the trajectory of womenâs wrestling in the United States forever.
The story between Sasha Banks and Bayley can be dated as far back as June of 2013, when both women tried and failed in the tournament to crown the inaugural NXT Womenâs Champion. Soon after, both womenâs character traits were easily identifiable. On one hand, you have Banks â the Boss. A cocky woman up her own ass and eating her own hype. She truly believed she was better than everyone around her, and she wasnât afraid to let you know it. On the flip side, you had Bayley, the lovable, huggable, and innocent woman who was there to do her very best.
As time went on, the two women feuded often in NXT, as Banks was aligned with Summer Rae as âThe BFFs,â while Bayley teamed with veteran Natalya. Theyâd trade wins throughout 2014, until Bayley scored a decisive win over Banks â one that made her the #1 contender to NXT Womenâs Champion Charlotte. At NXT TakeOver Fatal 4 Way, Bayley was unsuccessful in defeating Charlotte, but earned her respect enough that Charlotte saved her from a post match beatdown from Banks.
Bayley and Charlotte would team often to face off against Banks, and her newest ally, Becky Lynch. Bayley would be sidelined for a few months with a knee injury, and Banks would go on to have a losing effort against Charlotte at TakeOver: R Evolution. Bayley would make her return in January of 2015, and would compete in a Fatal 4 Way Match at TakeOver: Unstoppable with Charlotte, Banks, and Lynch â the only time the original Four Horsewoman of NXT competed against each other at once. In that match, Banks would be victorious and win the NXT Womenâs Championship.
Soon after, Bayley would declare that she wouldnât turn her back on her fans despite her shortcomings, but the losses kept piling up for the Huggable Wrestler. Meanwhile, Banks got successful title defenses in against Charlotte, Alexa Bliss, and one against Becky Lynch in a super underrated match at TakeOver: Unstoppable. A hand injury would sideline Bayley again for two months, but by the time she returned in July, she was almost a different woman.
She declared her intentions of going after the NXT Womenâs Championship. In the following weeks, sheâd beat not only Charlotte, but also Becky Lynch to earn a shot at Sasha Banks at TakeOver: Brooklyn. This event would be different from every TakeOver before it, though. Because for the first time ever, NXT was hitting the road, and holding a major event outside of Full Sail University. Theyâd run the Barclays Center the night before SummerSlam would also take place there.
It was a huge gamble from Triple H, but like I said, he knew what we knew, and that was that NXT was on fucking fire at this time. And Brooklyn would be the site of this legendary encounter between the arrogant champion and the ultimate underdog. A month prior, Stephanie McMahon stood on Monday Night Raw, and introduced Charlotte, Becky, and Sasha to the audience, and declared that a womenâs evolution was starting. It took a hot minute for the main roster to fully accept this change, but down in NXT, womenâs wrestling was about to get a huge boost in quality that would make 1990s Joshi proud.
The bell sounds, and both women stare each other down in the middle. Sasha calls Bayley a loser for her gear, then Bayley executes a double leg takedown. They exchange top control, and Bayley rains down hard shots to the champion. Diving elbow, and a diving clothesline gets a 1 count. Sasha sends Bayley into the turnbuckle repeatedly. Bayley grabs Sashaâs head and slams it off the buckle several times, then hangs her upside down. She hops off the middle rope for a springboard elbow drop that gets a 2 count.
Sasha with a quick roll up, and she sends Bayley into the corner. Bayley hops up the buckles, and comes down with a springboard hip toss that sends Sasha to the outside. Bayley goes to the outside and slides under the turnbuckle to hit a baseball slide to Sasha. She goes to enter the ring, but Sasha catches her and places her across the middle turnbuckle. Bayley avoids a double knee splash, but Sasha is still able to bring her up to the top rope. Sasha kicks Bayleyâs legs out from under her, and the challenger falls to the outside.
Sasha mocks Bayleyâs taunts, then ragdolls her inside the ring. Sasha with a sliding back elbow, and then a hard slap to the face that gets a 2 count. Sasha locks in an ugly neck crank next. She transitions to a neck stretch while digging her knee into the back. Bayley tries to return to her feet, and Sasha sends her back first into the corner. Bayley tries to fight out with forearms to the face, but Sasha places her legs across the middle ropes again. She goes for the double knees, but Bayley slips out and catches her in a powerslam set up. Sasha uses her lower body strength to send Bayley face first into the turnbuckle.
She now places Bayley across the top turnbuckle back first, then comes down with the double knees to the midsection, and that gets a 2 count. Sasha taunts her again, calling her a loser, and Bayley explodes out of the corner with a boot to the face. Then, she attacks Sasha with multiple punches. Sasha sends Bayley to the apron, and hyper extends her arm into the ropes. As Sasha goes for a Fujiwara Armbar on the outside, the fans chant âwomenâs wrestling.â
Sasha slams Bayleyâs hand off the steel steps, then stomps it into the floor. Bayley tries to stand up, and Sasha dives over the referee for a Plancha onto Bayley! Back in the ring, Sasha gets a 2 count. Big slap from Sasha, and she goes for a springboard attack to the arm, but Bayley sends her flying to the outside, and hard! Sasha returns to the ring, and she and Bayley exchange in forearms now. Bayley gets the upper hand with a series of double axe handles. Back elbow to Sasha in the corner, followed by a suplex into the turnbuckle. Bayley goes for the Bayley to Belly Suplex, and Sasha blocks it. Bayley goes for a German Suplex, but Sasha plants Bayley arm first to the mat, then she locks in the Bank Statement submission! Bayley crawls to the ropes, but Sasha stomps on the injured hand of Bayley! Sasha kicks herself away from the ropes, and Bayley reverses into a Bank Statement of her own! Sasha gets her leg on the bottom rope.
The fans are hot! Sasha kicks Bayley away from her, but Bayley is right there to lift Sasha up for the Bayley to Belly, and Sasha somehow kicks out at 2! Bayley picks Sasha up and places her on the top rope. She tries for the Bayley to Belly that high, and Sasha pushes her off. Bayley goes back up, and Sasha pushes her off again, nearly dropping the challenger on top of her head! Meteora from the top by Sasha, and that gets a close 2 count.
Sasha looks on in disbelief, as she places Bayley on the top rope. Bayley tries to fight back, but Sasha will not let up. Bayley unloads with hard elbows to the head, then she hits an amazing Poisonrana from the top! Bayley is up and she drops Sasha with the Bayley to Belly Suplex! The referee counts 3, and Bayley wins the NXT Womenâs Champion! The crowd roars in approval of this incredible moment! Post match, Bayley and Sasha, along with Charlotte and Becky Lynch, share a moment in the ring together.
Incredible contest, and a groundbreaking watershed moment in womenâs pro wrestling in America. The rest of the world knew what was up: women were awesome, and they could sell tickets. It took the US a while to catch on, as they were so focused on showcasing the sexiness women had. But here, Bayley and Sasha Banks proved that not only are women beautiful, but they kick ass too! WWE wasnât exactly known for putting on full length womenâs matches, but under the guidance of Triple H in NXT, it was proven that you could do that, and it would be incredible.
The emotion throughout this match is awesome. You can tell how much this spot means to both women. Sasha nearly cries as the bell rings. And once the match starts, they tell an incredible story of Bayley being the worldâs biggest underdog, and Sasha being the cocky monster she needed to topple. Sashaâs targeting of the hand was smart, as that was the reason the initial Bayley to Belly didnât lead to a victory. But Bayley wasnât going to be denied her moment in Brooklyn.
She persevered, and never quit in the face of adversity. She threw everything she had at Sasha, until the champion simply couldnât handle anymore. The crowd helped this match a lot, as well. They were loud, vocal, and on fire for essentially the entire thing. Putting NXT in a big arena like this, on SummerSlam weekend no less, was a smart move that paid off in the end. It was a landmark event, and it featured a landmark moment for the women of WWE.
The post match embrace between all of the Four Horsewomen was nice, as Sasha was about to join Charlotte and Becky on the main roster, while Bayley remained in NXT to carry the women to the next stage. These two would have one more match in their tank, as in October at TakeOver: Respect, they competed in an awesome 30 Min. Iron Man Match, where Bayley was victorious once again. While that match was good, it doesnât come close to touching this one. Everything about this match was just right: the night, the crowd, the chemistry, and the result. Bayley and Sasha broke boundaries on this night, and hereâs hoping this match inspired a young child somewhere to go for her dreams of becoming a wrestler.