WWE Superstar Not A Draw?
Wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer claims that WWE superstar Bayley is not drawing, particularly in the teenage girl demographic. The most recent episode of Monday Night Raw saw Bayley become the new Raw Women’s Championship in the main event of the episode. According to Meltzer, he witnessed one of the biggest drops in numbers, as 38 percent of teenage female fans stopped watching before the main event started.
Some feel that the California native is bad for ratings, claiming that other main events between Charlotte and Sasha Banks drew higher ratings, with one episode reaching up to 3 million viewers.
Many though feel that Bayley is not to blame for the drop, as the third hour of Raw commonly sees a drop in viewership, as many feel it is too long. Others claim that Bayley is simply not targeted towards the teen demographic, but rather, the pre-teen demographic. With her colorful merchandise and positive attitude, she is a great model for younger children. Teenagers may view her as too childish, and many actually prefer Sasha Banks to Bayley, as Banks is seen as more mature, especially with her “Legit Boss” character. Teens may also prefer Charlotte, who is a heel very reminiscent of Mean Girls, and most teens are fans of the film or grew up with Mean Girls. Prior to Banks and Charlotte, teenagers were fans of Paige, who was very different from the rest of the women on the roster and had more of an “anti-authority” vibe. Whatever the case may be, there was a drop in viewership, but just how much of it is due to Bayley is still unclear.
Bayley defeated Charlotte Flair to become champion last Monday. However the match saw interference from both Dana Brooke and Sasha Banks. Brooke, Charlotte’s protege, attempted to help her mentor win the match, but Bayley kept her away from her master. Sasha Banks then hit Brooke with a crutch before hitting Flair with the crutch as well. The referee did not see Banks’ attack, and therefore did not disqualify Bayley, who used the distraction from Banks to pick up the win.
This may be part of the build-up to the rumored fatal four-way match for the Raw Women’s Championship between Bayley, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Nia Jax. Meanwhile, others believe this could be the start of a Sasha Banks’ heel turn. Some speculate that since she is unable to beat Charlotte consistently, Banks feels she has a better chance of becoming Raw Women’s Champion if Bayley was the champion.
Bayley’s reign as champion comes just half-a-year after her official main roster debut. She appeared at Battleground in July as Sasha Banks’ mystery tag team partner in a match against Flair and Brooke. In August, she was officially called up to the main roster after losing to Asuka at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II. Her first few attempts to become champion were largely unsuccessful, with Bayley falling short of winning at Clash of Champions. Bayley then entered a program with Dana Brooke. Bayley defeated Brooke at Hell in a Cell to end the program, while that same night, Sasha Banks and Charlotte set two separate records. They were the first female participants in the “Hell in a Cell” match, and the first two female superstars to fight in the main event of a WWE pay-per-view. Bayley also defeated Nia Jax in January to become the number one contender to Charlotte’s championship. Though Bayley was unsuccessful in her match at Royal Rumble, she was able to succeed just three weeks later.
It is unclear what WWE plans to do with Bayley. It is yet to be seen if she will drop the title at Fastlane or enter WrestleMania 33 as the Raw Women’s Champion.
[Featured Image by WWE]
