SorceressKnight Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Bayley's put in the character work to transform from "no self-confidence, just happy to be here" to "person who got serious about winning, but still lacks self-confidence" to "ace who actually has self-affirmed her own abilities through hard work, but still with enough self-esteem issues to doubt herself against Nia Jax or Asuka or some challenge that looks like it might be too much for her." She's really, really, REALLY good at showing both confidence and vulnerability through her mannerisms, facial expressions, and selling. It's sort of like asking "Why do people get behind Sami Zayn?" I mean, why would I need a daughter or niece to get behind a wrestler who is so good at portraying these very real, very common emotions and whose character work fits right in with a struggle of human commonality - the struggle of overcoming self-doubt to become self-actualized? This kind of says it. For better or worse in 2015-16, Bayley became the female version of Sami Zayn in NXT. If you compare Bayley's rise through 2015 to the NXT Women's Title to Sami Zayn's rise to the NXT Title in 2014, the two were basically the same story: The babyface who's not just a good guy because the announcers tell you they're a good guy, but are genuinely a GOOD PERSON beyond that, trying to make their way to the top of the mountain and having a lot of mis-steps on their way to the top. They keep failing, they lose some confidence in themselves, and it's even worse because every voice in their head from all their friends and well-wishers is telling them that being a good person will never get you to the top, and the only meaning of success in life is to either choose to be a good person and be a failure, or choose to be an asshole and succeed in life. The babyface is wavering, seeing the success around them from people who made that choice to become an asshole in order to succeed- but no matter how much they see it happen, they just can't do it- they can't sell their soul for the title. They'd rather lose and stay true to themselves then win and be a "jerk champion"- and even if the announcers were to say they were still a good person for doing it that way, it wouldn't matter because THEY'D KNOW they weren't one. They made their choice- and they go forward with it- and finally, at long last, they DID make it to the top of the mountain. They stayed true to themselves, and they won, they showed people that you can be the best and still remain a good person if you want to be, and that just giving up and saying "nice guys finish last" is the tool of someone who isn't that nice after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 I don't get Lucha or other forms so it's likely I miss out on why certain wrestlers are as good as advertised. That's just because you don't have a Mexican. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 AJ had a great year. Bayley had one of the best years ever AND helped make women's wrestling relevant to many viewers who couldn't give two shits in 2014. Bayley gets my vote here for sure. .... It's like Joshi wrestlers and Shimmer just did not matter before NXT or something. For the majority of wrestling fans, yes. Look, you don't have to dig it, but it's true. LOTS of fans have been brought to appreciate women's wrestling through NXT and the Four Horsewomen in general. And yes, those same fans couldn't give the above mentioned two shits about joshi or Shimmer. The wrestling bubble is indeed a thing. Oh please. People have always appreciated women's wrestling even in the WWE's "wrestling bubble." How do you explain the success of Lita, pre-Matt Hardy slut shaming, and AJ Lee's relatively short stint? Or Kharma/Awesome Kong destroying models and how awesome that was before she was released? You give them a platform and the time and fans will give a shit about it. The issue is and what I think should be rephrased is that no one thought WWE women's wrestling would be worth of damn after Mickie James, Lita, Trish Stratus left with actual athletes and performers being replaced by models who were taught basics (apparently deciding to go with the Trish Stratus path and not realizing that she is an anomaly and should not be the default way to hire people). The WWE made people numb to the idea of women's wrestling and that was partly to do with them not hiring any of the said Joshi's that we are certainly appreciating now(Asuka) and SHIMMER stars. Even Sasha Banks who has gone on record that she would be in Stardom or REINA if it weren't for WWE hiring her. That is why they exist. There was void and those companies picked it up. Hell, TNA only exists because of the success of their women's wrestling or what success their women's wrestling used to have. Don't blame the fans when you know damn well that it's not their fault that the WWE presented women's wrestling as the bathroom break for nearly 10 years. Bayley and the Horsewomen did not help the fans realize that women's wrestling was relevant. A lot of them already knew and were lethargic to WWE's women's wrestling. And given on how you have on record that JR had to goad Vince in hiring Gail Kim because "he did not think Asian women were attractive" and how Sexy Star was turned down by WWE because "women have to look like they could model for playboy," they were right. And this hiring model discounted a lot of women who were more than capable. All Bayley and the Horsewomen did was move past a creepy old man's belief that women needed to be objectified and eye candy to be successful. Given how fans reacted to women's matches prior NXT and after the attitude era of Bra and Panties matches, if you present the fans a reason to care about anything and that anything was actually good, then they will care regardless of gender. So miss me with that bullshit that it was the fans that needed to realize that women's wrestling could be good when it was the company that was apparently the blame. I didn't blame the fans. You originally say "it's as if Shimmer and joshi didn't happen." I said, correctly, that to a lot of wrestling fans and 99.9% of casual fans, Shimmer and joshi weren't a thing but the NXT women's division is. That's all that was said. It was true then. It's still true now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTNW Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 You're assuming casual fans watch NXT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 You're assuming casual fans watch NXT. More of them watch NXT than joshi or Shimmer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEN! Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Styles has been operating on a higher level than pretty much everyone for the past 4 years or so. His ring psychology is on point plus he's still in his physical prime where it's all just muscle memory for him. In 2015, he bumped all over a building to get a good match out of nothing-happening Bad Luck Fale. He dragged lazy-ass Naito to his best matches. I think he's Tanahashi and Okada's best opponent and he made Okada actually look like he lives up to the hype. Plus, he worked indies pretty much all over the world and gave most of those guys the best matches they'll ever have in their careers. Then he went to WWE, fit right in, and made old, lame, played-out Jericho relevant again. Bayley got a standing ovation and some flowers for doing her job competently. Also, the cockteasing of that strange foreign boy, the exploiting of that child's emotions at ringside for financial gain, and the reckless driving. Never forget the reckless driving. Dammit, Bayley, eyes on the road. Arrive alive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 Bayley - 78 AJ - 49 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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