The thought of a current WWE Superstar going toe-to-toe with a Hall of Famer can be exciting. A cross-generation match involving the likes of Trish Stratus, Lita, Michelle McCool and Beth Phoenix, squaring off with Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks or Bayley would be a must-watch for many fans.
At WrestleMania 35 we saw a glimpse of this. Although it might have been a tag team match, the WWE Universe got to see Phoenix face Banks and Bayley for the Women’s Tag Team Titles.
Speaking on a recent episode of WWE’s The Bump, The Role Model was asked if she had unfinished business with The Glamazon, to which she replied she thinks Phoenix is afraid to face her.
“I’m going to say a little bit of both,” Bayley said.
“Beth did cost me to lose the tag team titles back at WrestleMania 35. She gave me a freaking Grand Slam off the top of the rope, which doesn’t feel good. I think my shoulder is still paying for it. Then, I lost the titles, not even to her. So, that’s a little unfinished business.
“And I think she’s ducking and dodging a little too much. You know, I saw her at WrestleMania, and she was hiding behind doors and hiding behind her husband, so I mean, I’m ready, Beth.”
Women’s wrestling has significantly been on the up since 2017. That year saw WWE have its first Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, then in 2018 the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble occurred.
For the last three years fans have witnessed the first women’s match to main event WrestleMania, a triple threat between Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey for the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championship. This year saw even more history made when Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks went one-on-one for the latter title, making it the first bout of its kind to main event the pay-per-view. They were also the first black women to do this too - Belair came out on top in that one.
The RAW Women’s Title also changed hands at The Show of Shows with Rhea Ripley successfully pinning Asuka for the belt. With two new champions on the Red and Blue Brand, is there a new era of women’s wrestling in WWE upon us?
When asked if this was the case, The Role Model denied it and stated if it wasn’t for ‘specifically me’, there wouldn’t have been that opportunity for Ripley and Belair.
“I won’t say it’s a new era, but I will say you’re welcome to all these new women champions because if it wasn’t for us, well, specifically me, they wouldn’t have had that platform on NXT, and you know, Papa Hunter,” she said.
“I’m very happy to see, you know, the women come up and show up and prove what we’ve been trying to prove all along that we can have these matches, and that we can be different and that we can all be accepted for being amazing champions. I’m happy to see that. But you’re welcome, guys.”
Bayley vs Beth Phoenix, sign us up!