If you’ve watched WWE NXT any time in the past year (and you really should be watching WWE NXT), you’ve likely noticed something: The women’s division is really damn good.
Bolstered by out-of-nowhere performances by the likes of NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and more, the ladies of NXT have blown up to main-level attractions under the guidance of WWE COO Triple H. As NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable approached, and just hours before Sasha and Ric Flair progeny Charlotte main-evented NXT’s first Live Event in Philadelphia, Charlotte, Sasha, Bayley and Becky Lynch sat down for a roundtable interview with WWE.com. The division’s “Four Horsewomen” opened up on how they got to where they are, where they see themselves going (hint: WrestleMania) and why someday they’ll tell the boys to “Follow that.”
So without further ado, sit back and enjoy some straight shooting from the show-stealin’, wheelin’-dealin’, high-flyin’, revolutionizin’, hug-givin’, match-winnin’ and (onetime) Irish-jiggin’ women — key word — of NXT.
BAYLEY: So we’re talking about women’s wrestling?
WWE.COM: Yeah. It’s a pretty big time for women’s wrestling, don’t you think?
SASHA BANKS: It’s crazy to see how far women’s wrestling has come. Just to find out that me and Charlotte are main-eventing tonight in Philadelphia …
BAYLEY: I didn’t even know that! Oh my God!
BECKY LYNCH: Unbelievable.
SASHA: It’s humbling, but at the same time, who would ever guess? Who would ever guess when I was 10 years old that I’d be main-eventing an event as big as this?
BECKY: Especially with everyone on the card.
SASHA: It’s insane.
BECKY: Dude, we have Finn Bálor, we have freakin’ Rhyno on the card and they get to [compete in the main event] … that’s so cool.
CHARLOTTE: You know the phrase, “Be the hardest worker in the room”? That’s hard with the NXT women’s division, because I can honestly say every girl is the hardest worker in the room. This sounds corny, but if you think of destiny, we’re all here together. Triple H hired Sara Del Rey, and then all of us got hired together at the same time. Considering the chemistry and how much we all want this together and work well together, it’s perfect timing. I don’t know, I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
BECKY: Same. Nine years ago, I stopped wrestling because this wasn’t a possibility. There were never girls like Bayley or Sasha or Charlotte. It’s funny, because I was saying this the other day: I walked down the hallway in the Performance Center and there are all the pay-per-view posters all along the walls, right? And on all of them, every single one, there’s not one single female wrestler. Stephanie McMahon was on one of them, but you’ve got Randy Orton, you’ve got Sheamus, you’ve got Bray Wyatt, you’ve got everybody but you don’t have any women. And I know, I know, in five years when I walk down that hall I’m going to see Bayley; I’m going to see Sasha; I’m going to see Charlotte. Hopefully I’ll see myself, too, but I know I’m going to see them, and it’s not just because they’re good forgirls. They’re just good. Just really good, and we’re just changing —
SASHA: We’re good. [Everyone laughs] We’re doin’ it!
BAYLEY: I want people to buy tickets to see us. People want to see John Cena, they want to see all these guys, but I want people to buy tickets because they want to see the girls and they’re looking forward to the Divas matches. There are two women’s matches at TakeOver for a reason. It’s not just like, “give it to them,” and it’s a short time. It’s a two-hour pay-per-view. It’s hard enough to just get one match on any wrestling show for women. Two? That’s freakin’ awesome, and we’re all involved in it and we’re all so supportive of each other. It’s freakin’ cool.
CHARLOTTE: What makes this group of women so special is that when you watch NXT, each female stands out. You’ve got Bayley, who basically, every single person in the stands at NXT can relate to. You’ve got Sasha Banks, “The Boss,” probably the best villain in the company at the moment. You’ve got Becky Lynch —
SASHA: Rock star.We’re not just good for girls. We’re just good.
BECKY: Aww.
CHARLOTTE: She has delts for days, basically plays the part of this fitness model —
BECKY: I do? [Laughs]
CHARLOTTE: Every single person can’t come and say, “Oh, they’re eye candy or the popcorn match.” No, we’re either semi main-eventing or —
SASHA: Main-eventing.
CHARLOTTE: Or main-eventing tonight, where there are two Divas matches [alongside Bayley & Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch & Dana Brooke]. It goes to show we’re just as big a part of the brand as the guys are, and it has a lot to do with how hard we worked. The more they give us, the more we deliver, and the sky is the limit for this group of women. Read the rest of this entry