WWE Extreme Rules 2020 Results: Sasha Banks And Bayley Shouldn’t Split Anytime Soon

WWE Extreme Rules 2020 proved that Sasha Banks and Bayley shouldn’t go their separate ways anytime … [+] soon. (Credit: Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images)

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WWE has spent more than two years building up the on-and-off friendship between Sasha Banks and Bayley with various twists and turns, and at Extreme Rules 2020, their relationship took yet another one.

“The Boss” used her privileges as a travel Women’s Tag Team Champion to take on Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship at WWE’s latest Performance Center pay-per-view, and she left the pay-per-view with that title, though the controversial finish—with Bayley assuming the role of referee after the actual ref was taken out by Asuka’s green mist—made it unclear if she actually won the belt. Had Banks definitively won that bout (WWE still hasn’t confirmed whether she did or not), she and Bayley would have simultaneously held all the women’s titles on the main roster, but with the uncertain finish, Banks, in-storyline, once again failed to live up the standard set by Bayley, who has dominated the SmackDown Women’s Championship for well over a year now.

Of course, Banks’ “victory”—if it actually is one—didn’t come without controversy. It was only after a boatload of interference that Banks was able to outlast Asuka, with WWE continuing to hold off on an eventual split between Banks and Bayley that is becoming more highly anticipated with each week that passes by.

Originally planned for WrestleMania 36, that match was then reportedly postponed until SummerSlam, though WWE is now said to be considering delaying the match even further to give it a proper time and place as well as the adequate build to get there. Just a few months ago, it sure seemed like a shoo-in that we were getting the Banks vs. Bayley dream match that is literally years in the making. But so much has changed during that span that WWE was forced to change, too.

Becky Lynch is now pregnant and will be out of action well into 2021 while Charlotte Flair is in the midst of a hiatus as well. That leaves WWE without its two highest paid and most pushed female stars—not to mention two of its biggest stars, whether male or female—at a time when WWE is already hurting in the star power department due to the absences of stars like Roman Reigns, Edge and Brock Lesnar, among others. With the immediate and long-term futures of Flair and Lynch remaining uncertain, WWE was shifted its focus to the “other” two Four Horsewomen in Banks and Bayley, who have been carrying the women’s division and have developed into arguably the most entertaining act on all of WWE programming.

The sudden shift to pushing Bayley and Banks so heavily represents a 180-degree pivot from right around this time last year when WWE officials were reportedly second-guessing the push of the women’s division and responded by scaling back significantly on the amount of effort put into highlighting its talented female stars. The consistently great work of Banks and Bayley, however, has given the company no to choice but to spotlight the incredibly talented duo at a time when they have been clearly positioned as the two cornerstones of the women’s division during the absences of Flair and Lynch.

That makes you wonder if, once again, the circumstances on WWE’s TV programming will result in this seemingly inevitable dream match being delayed once again, especially after what happened at Extreme Rules when Bayley retained her title over Nikki Cross, also in cheap fashion, while Banks couldn’t beat Asuka on her own. And you know what? There’s no reason to break up Bayley and Banks just yet.

During this era in which Raw and SmackDown viewership have been tanking and Bruce Prichard taking over as the head of WWE creative has resulted in the company putting a noticeable focus on already established wrestlers, Banks and Bayley are benefiting from that strategy by having a consistent and important presence on both Raw and SmackDown while also even appearing on NXT. That’s a surefire sign that, especially with WWE’s return to live events with fans remaining uncertain due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Banks and Bayley may once again see their split delayed, and truth be told, their tremendous work as a heel duo makes that almost necessary right now.

Yes, the Banks vs. Bayley feud needs to happen at some point, but given that the duo is doing perhaps the best work of its career during this strange span in which most storylines are failing to click with WWE fans, the company must ride with the hot hand. And right now, the hot hand is the duo of Bayley and Banks that—at least for the time being—is better and more critical to WWE together than it would be apart.

Despite the convoluted finishes to their matches at Extreme Rules, the outcomes of their two respective bout demonstrated precisely why they are WWE’s most hated duo and why a full-blown split should remain months away.