Alexa Bliss and the Best WWE Mic Mastery for Week of October 12

Alexa Bliss clutched the NXT Women's Championship and snarled at Bayley like a wolf protecting its freshly caught prey, her metamorphosis from bubbly babyface to convincing heel complete.

On Wednesday's NXT, she had her biggest moment to date, a confrontation with the champ to kick off the show. She nailed it. With a title-focused promo, she showcased her growth and announced that, at least character-wise, she's ready to be a contender. 

Bayley, a week removed from outlasting Sasha Banks in an Iron Man match at NXT TakeOver: Respect, returned to Full Sail University to celebrate.

She was genuinely appreciative of the love the crowd gave her. But as any wrestling fan knows, this kind of moment rarely ends without a heel looking to ruin it.

That role went to Bliss on this night.

With Banks now back on the main roster, it wasn't clear where Bayley would go next for challengers. Asuka is an obvious option, but one officials may wish to save for later. Carmella, Dana Brooke and Eva Marie still need work to get to that spot. In her showdown with Bayley, Bliss did well to make the company look smart for choosing her.

Bliss began by praising Bayley. She congratulated her on the big win against Banks and talked about how impressed she was.

"I was in total awe. And nobody deserves to be champ more than you do right now," she said.

With tears filling her eyes and using a prom-queen delivery, she told Bayley, "You truly are an incredible champion."

Bliss was only playing puppet master, working the crowd to start cheering for Bayley so that she could better position herself as her foil. In a flash, she jumped from lovable to hate-worthy.

The glaring heel seized Bayley's title and used Blake and Murphy as human shields to protect her.

"We won't be sharing this," she said. With her goons on guard, Bliss began to mock the champ for her now-famous childhood essay about wanting to be a WWE star.

The championship was her clear focus. She gripped it as if it were a prized possession and promised to take it away one day.

"It's going to be a lot easier when I take this from you for real," she told Bayley.

Here is why this story worked right away: It was a simple narrative of a wrestler wanting championship gold, a juxtaposition of the gutsy, do-right hero and the ruthless predator chasing her down. 

When Bliss began her NXT run as a glitter-happy sprite, it was hard to imagine that she would be one of the best heels the developmental brand has to offer. She's grown increasingly comfortable with being nasty. 

Writer Tom Beasley pointed out how impressive her transformation has been:

Abbey Arthur of Top Rope Press wrote of her current persona, "You just want to hate her." Arthur is right. Bliss is the right amount of smug and spiteful.

And in this short, effective promo, Bliss was at her best. She seemed to believe what she said and fully buy into her own twisted moral code.

She is the star of this heel trio. It's often the women in wrestling who are the arm candy, but not here. In a reversal of roles, Blake and Murphy were the add-ons; the woman was the heart of the group.

Credit: WWE.com

This rivalry is a smart move. Save Asuka vs. Bayley for later; let the Japanese sensation make more of a connection with NXT fans first.

Meanwhile, why not see how good Bliss can be?

With NXT's calendar leaning less heavily on big shows, there is time to build up Bliss. She can earn her shot against Bayley by scoring a series of wins (preferably in underhanded fashion), and NXT can patiently generate some personal issues between these two.

Bliss is clearly growing in terms of playing the heel. Battling Bayley will be her examination to determine where she is as an in-ring performer. She has already passed the heeling-it-up-on-the-mic test.