NXT Takeover Respect: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley NXT Women's Championship

Looking back on one of the greatest matches and stories in NXT history, let's discuss Sasha Banks (Mercedes "Mone" Varnado) taking on NXT Women's Champion Bayley in a 30-minute Iron Man match.

Credit to WWE.com

Since Sasha Banks and Bayley stepped onto the WWE scene, there was something special about the both of them. Bayley continuously proved herself to be the babyface that we all wanted to root for, and Banks became the heel that we all hated to love and loved to hate. At NXT Takeover: Rival, the two would compete in an unforgettable Fatal 4 Way against fellow Four Horsewomen Becky Lynch and then NXT Women's Champion Charlotte Flair for the title. After Banks secured her first NXT Championship victory, she'd make her main roster debut alongside Naomi and Tamina (Team B.A.D) the same night Becky and Charlotte would align themselves with Paige, all hoping to take down Team Bella. Banks success would lead to her character evolving into an egotistical villan ready to cut corners and do whatever it takes to win and keep her NXT Women's Championship. Then came, Sasha vs Bayley at the first NXT Takeover Brooklyn for the NXT Women's Championship. A match that is still talked about to this day as one of the greatest matches of Takeover history. After the overconfident Banks suffered a loss and saw the end of her NXT Women's Championship reign, the two would continue their rivalry to NXT Takeover: Respect, becoming the first two women to headline an NXT Special in the first ever Women's Ironman Match.

The bell rings prior to an intense and lengthy staredown, Sasha and Bayley lock up in attempt to see who can get the best of their opponent early on. After a "Let's go Sasha! Let's go Bayley!" chant from the audience, Banks shortly gains the upper hand before being met with offense from the champion. Not too long after a back and forth exchange from both challenger and champion, champion Bayley offers a handshake. While the challenger, Banks accepts the offer, she has vengeance on her mind as she pulls Bayley by the hair and yanks her to the ground with a headslam. Bayley doesn't take a liking to this as she turned the aggression up to push Banks further. It usually takes two to tango, but in this case it became three while the referee became entangled in the corner behind Banks, who uses the opportunity to give Bayley and eyerake and roll her up to steal the first pinfall. After the two continue their back and forth in the corner, Sasha is pulled down from the middle rope into a Bayley-to-Belly to score Bayley her first pinfall. The score is now 1-1.

When we think about what makes the most convincing heels in Professional Wrestling, there are various choices and mannerisms that can help the audience understand who is the "bad guy." Once things spill to the outside of the ring and get more nefarious on Banks' part, we truly begin to see the mark of a true heel. "This is your best friend?! Huh?!" Banks yells into the face of a young Izzy who sits on the outside with her parents watching her hero Bayley get thrown into the steps repeatedly. The audience eats up every second, rising to their feet and reacting time and time again. Then comes, THAT moment. Sasha Banks was already exposing herself as to be one of the most vicious women we have ever seen in WWE, but she took things to a whole new level. Banks takes the time to wave and give a wicked smile to Izzy just before launching Bayley into the LED wall, making it glitch and shut down. Banks makes her way back to the ring, but not before snatching the headband off Izzy's head, making the little girl cry. To add insult to injury, Bayley is counted out while Banks stands in the ring taunting Izzy with her own headband, and then throws it at her. The score is now 2-1, with Banks in the lead.

Back in the ring, Banks gets Bayley into a high angle Boston Crab, stomping her head until Bayley reverses into a hurricanrana, gaining her second fall of the night. The score is now 2-2, with a little over 12 minutes left in the 30-minute Ironman match. The tide finally changes as Bayley makes her comeback, making Banks eat springboard elbow. Banks then gets Bayley upside down hooked onto the turnbuckle and hits her own springboard maneuver using the double knees to knock Bayley down. Things quickly turn back into Bayley's favor as she punishes Banks for all that she has been put through. Making their way back outside, Bayley sets up the steel steps and runs up them to nail Banks with a flying clothesline. Trying to immediately lift up Banks again would not workout in her favor as Banks reverses, shoving Bayley back first into the steel steps. With only five and a half minutes left, Banks goes for a suicide dive which Bayley reverses into a Bayley-to-Belly. "IRONWOMAN!" erupts from the crowd in between claps as the crowd gets more hype trying to determine who is getting the last fall to close out this intense rivalry.

Back to the top rope, Bayley and Banks go. Bayley hits an Avalanche Bayley-to-Belly but the pinfall is broken with a rope break. Trying to create a repeat moment of the Avalanche Poisionrana spot from the NXT Takeover Brooklyn battle, Bayley uses the maneuver once more on Banks to try to end things. Banks nearly lands on her feet but the momentum knocks her to the ground, failing to do any true damage. Bayley takes her time standing, not knowing Banks is already back on her feet and is met with her own finisher being used against her. Banks hits her own Bayley-to-Belly for a nearfall. Wasting no time, Banks locks in the Bank Statement on Bayley with less than two minutes left on the clock. Bayley tries to reverse but is caught in the Bank Statement once again with only less than a minute left. With 30 seconds left on the clock, Banks goes for another Bank Statement but it is reversed into Bayley's own submission. She has both of Banks arms locked and stomps her head into the mat and with 4 seconds left on the clock, Banks taps out, making the score 3-2, Bayley wins and retains her NXT Women's Championship.

There are not enough good things you can say about this match. It is not every day we get matches that have fans standing on their feet for long periods of time, completely unable to even stay in their seats for long because moment after moment had the fans salivating for more. This is a story that stood so strong, that five years later in 2020, after the two had become the first ever WWE Women's Tag Team Champions together before ultimately splitting, they would run it back in a Hell in a Cell Match, taking their character arcs to an entire new level with Bayley as the hellacious heel and Smackdown Women's Champion, taking on the vengeful ex-best friend and babyface Sasha Banks. Though Bayley currently stands as the current WWE Women's Champion, and Banks has taken on the new moniker of "CEO" and TBS Champion in All Elite Wrestling as Mercedes Mone, one can only imagine what their next interaction will be like on a Pro Wrestling screen.