Bayley Makes WWE Raw Debut: Best Potential Rivalries, Predictions for New Star

WWE Raw's power to emotionally resonate markedly increased the moment Bayley made her long-awaited debut.

The former NXT women's champion is one of the best storytellers on the WWE roster and the cure for a division set to be hurt by absences. And few wrestlers connect to the audience like the happy-go-lucky babyface. If WWE backs her as it should, it has a potential megastar on its hands.

With whispers about Sasha Banks' injury floating around, two-time women's champ Charlotte boasted about her SummerSlam victory in front of the Raw crowd on Monday night.

She claimed that there was no one worthy of challenging her for the title. Raw general manager Mick Foley informed her otherwise. 

He introduced Bayley as Raw's latest free-agent signing.

That arrival was a long time coming. When WWE pulled Banks, Charlotte and Becky Lynch from NXT last year, many wondered why Bayley didn't come along with them. Instead, she remained a flag-bearer for the developmental brand.

After a stellar run as NXT women's champ and producing two instant classics against The Boss, there was nothing left for Bayley to do at that level. It's now Raw's turn to experience her unique character and her ability to leave lumps in fans' throats.

Best Possible Rivalries 

The feuds waiting for Bayley down the road have "excellence" written all over them. Fans will have to be patient, though. Bayley's ideal foils aren't around for the moment.

Paige opposing Bayley will be gold.

Credit: WWE.com

The stark contrast between their characters will provide a strong foundation to build their story on. Bayley is the effervescent, beaming hero with an excess of heart. Paige is at her best when she is merciless and unfeeling, a bruiser looking to make an imprint of her boot on her opponent's chest.

Bayley plays by the rules; Paige steps on her foe's hair.

Paige has been running in place in recent months. A rivalry with Bayley would rejuvenate her and be a means for the hug-happy Superstar to show off her toughness.

The obvious route to take is to pit The Boss against Bayley.

Banks and Bayley flourished against each other at NXT, tearing down the house at TakeOver: Brooklyn and TakeOver: Respect. To re-engage that rivalry, Banks simply has to tell Bayley that she has unfinished business with her, that she still isn't over those two big losses. 

Unfortunately, WWE can't dive right into either of those feuds. A violation of the talent wellness policy has Paige out of action for 30 days, in addition to injury issues. And Banks is reportedly dealing with back issues, as Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported.

That leaves Charlotte as Bayley's best option right now. 

WWE is clearly already heading in that direction. Bayley confronted the champ during her debut and bested Charlotte protege Dana Brooke in her Raw debut.

To maximize that rivalry, WWE has to exercise patience. The audience has to see Bayley claw her way to that gold before claiming it. The company has to properly introduce her to fans who didn't follow her NXT journey.

Predictions for 2016

Bayley's impact will be felt right away. With Banks out of action and Paige absent, WWE will make Bayley a prominent part of the division.

As Greg Parks of PWTorch pointed out, Bayley helps address the division's depth:

And WWE has a history of highlighting fresh arrivals to the women's division in a hurry. Paige won the Divas Championship in her first appearance on Raw. Charlotte won the gold two months after her call-up from NXT.

Expect a similar pace for Bayley's rise.

WWE officials had to hear how passionately Brooklyn fans welcomed her on Monday night. They had to see how much discussion she inspired on the internet. As Rolling Stone writer Kenny Herzog put it, "There's no arguing what's plainly apparent: People love Bayley."

The company will look to take advantage of that pronto.

Bayley will win the Women's Championship before year's end. She will stumble on her first few attempts. Charlotte will cheat to survive until Bayley fights off injury and interference to claim the gold. There's a powerful underdog story waiting to be told there.

The title change will set up Banks vs. Bayley for next year's WrestleMania. That's a money match waiting to happen on that grand a stage.

Long-Term Projections

Bayley will be one of the cornerstones of a division that makes history. She, Banks, Charlotte and others will be the first women to headline WWE pay-per-views.

Her popularity will have a lot to do with that. She will appeal to young girls like no one else. She will stir up emotions in the WWE fanbase at large as an underdog babyface, much like Sami Zayn and Daniel Bryan.

Wrestling Inc compared her to John Cena:

There are parallels between the two in terms of popularity with kids and being marketable characters. NXT arenas have long been filled with adults and kids in Bayley gear.

And unlike many NXT acts that failed to translate to the main roster, from Adam Rose to Bo Dallas, her giddy, pure-hearted shtick will work on Raw. It's not a gimmick as much as it is a pure form of the babyface trope.

Bayley has mastered the role. Even in a division so rich with talent, she will be a perennial key figure in its top tier. 

It's hard to argue with someone like Miami Herald columnist Scott Fishman, who sang Bayley's praises:

Debuts and call-ups happen quite often, but it's rare for WWE to welcome. That's exactly what happened on Monday night.

Bayley is now poised to live up to all the hype and hyperbole surrounding her arrival.