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Bayley Becomes No. 1 Contender For WWE Women’s Championship

1 weeks ago By Jhon Woug

Bayley won a hard-hitting Fatal 4-Way match on the January 10, 2025 episode of WWE SmackDown to become the new No. 1 challenger for the WWE Women’s Championship. The win provided her with the title match against the newly crowned champion Tiffany Stratton that was made for the following week’s SmackDown on January 17, 2025.

Road to Contendership

Her path to the contender status was nice and smooth with serious competition and a host of drama-rich moments. Some of the huge names took to the ring for the Fatal 4-Way match: Bayly, Nia Jax, Bianca Belair, and Naomi—all strong enough to see the other in the ring was doing their ultimate best for the great WWE Women’s Championship opportunity up for grabs.

Rich talent and high-voltage action marked the match. The fans at the venue saw an unbelievable sequence of Tower of Doom and Bayley delivering an avalanche move in the most agile manner. The match was choreographed and steamrolling at most moments, with each of these superstars giving it their best to win the No. 1 contender position.

One of the high points in the match came when Belair and Bayley had an exciting exchange; fans in attendance were left salivating at the prospect of a one-on-one match featuring these two behemoths. The crowd also caught wind of a Belair versus Naomi match, which got them hyped and showcased just how deep the women’s division is.

The Decisive Moment

As the match heated up, action spilled outside the ring: Bianca Belair and Nia Jax went over the announcer’s table in a wild brawl.The distraction at this point in the match proved critical as Bayley was able to capitalize on the situation inside the ring.

In a shocking twist, Candice LeRae suddenly emerged at ringside—ostensibly to try and distract Nia Jax. LeRae’s interference backfired when she snatched Belair’s patented braid, with The EST whipping her tag team partner Naomi, of all people, with her hair.

Seizing the moment, Bayley quickly capitalized on the bedlam. Hitting the Rose Plant on a stunned Naomi4—with Belair and Jax still fighting it out on the outside of the ring—Bayley scored the pinfall victory to become the new No. 1 contender for the WWE Women’s Championship.

The Champion: Tiffany Stratton

Bayley’s win now sets up an eagerly awaited matchup against the current WWE Women’s Champion, Tiffany Stratton. The self-proclaimed “Center of the Universe” shocked the WWE Universe just a couple of weeks ago when she cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Nia Jax to capture the title.

The rise of Stratton has been meteoric. In a telling promo on the same night that Bayley won, Stratton addressed the crowd for the first time as champion and showed just how her months-long plan of fooling Nia Jax—acting like the naive little buddy to strike when the time came—was pulled off to perfection with her Money in the Bank cash-in.

Confidence exuded from the new champion as she pronounced it “officially Tiffy Time” and called for respect from the WWE Universe. But her time at the top of the mountain lasted all of a few minutes, as she quickly found herself confronted by a litany of potential challengers, including Nia Jax, Bayley, and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Naomi and Bianca Belair.

The Challenger: Bayley’s Journey

Bayley’s path here to this opportunity at the championship has been very long and somehow instructive. For being one of the veterans within WWE’s Women’s Division, Bayley had been proving herself among the most apt and versatile talents in the company.

Dubbed “The Role Model,” Bayley has grown much in character throughout her career in the WWE—from the lovable hugger in NXT to the current, more aggressive, and determined competitor—she has indeed shown remarkable adaptability and growth.

Her list of accomplishments is impressive:

Two-time WWE Raw Women’s Champion

Two-time WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion

Former NXT Women’s Champion

Two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion

2019 Money in the Bank winner

2024 Royal Rumble winner

Specifically, Bayley is the first-ever WWE Women’s Triple Crown Champion and Grand Slam winner in history. Her 380-day run as the SmackDown Women’s Champion is one of the longest runs in that title’s history with Rhea Ripley.

The Championship Match Build-Up

Not just any championship match, but a clash of the new generation versus experience and styles, the upcoming title match between Tiffany Stratton and Bayley is more than that. The young, brash champion that is Stratton represents the new wave in WWE talent, and the sudden rise to the top of the women’s division has been nothing short of spectacular. She will be looking to prove that this was no fluke in winning her championship.

On the other hand, Bayley brings a wealth of experience and a chip on her shoulder. In a backstage interview following her victory in the Fatal 4-Way match, Bayley reminded everyone of her history with Stratton. She pointedly mentioned that despite facing Stratton multiple times throughout the year, the new champion has never managed to defeat her.

This adds an extra layer of interest in the impending championship match because Bayley is confident not just due to her win from her last match but rather on account of her record against Stratton. It really gives way to quite a nice story: Can the grizzled veteran take down the young champion, or will Stratton finally break through and beat Bayley on the grandest stage?

The Importance of the Match

The WWE Women’s Championship match between Tiffany Stratton and Bayley has immense ramifications for both competitors and the women’s division in general.

For Stratton, this will be her first title defense since the world was shocked with her Money in the Bank cash-in. A win over a competitor of Bayley’s caliber would go a long way toward legitimizing her reign and silencing any doubters who might view her championship win as opportunistic rather than earned.

Bayley can add another chapter to her already illustrious career. A win for her would make her a three-time WWE Women’s Champion and further seal her legacy as one of the all-time great female performers in WWE history. It would also serve as a reminder that despite the influx of new talent, the veterans of the women’s division are still a force to be reckoned with.

The match also represents a turning point for the WWE Women’s Championship itself, as the title has changed hands rather frequently in recent months, with Nia Jax’s reign cut short by Stratton’s surprise cash-in. A competitive, high-profile match between Stratton and Bayley could help reestablish the prestige of the championship and set the tone for its importance in the coming year.

Fan expectations, predictions by fans

The announcement of the Stratton versus Bayley match has sent WWE fans into overdrive. It will be a neat fight between two different wrestling styles. Stratton will go up against Bayley’s technical ability and ring psychology with her trademark athleticism and innovative offense.

This will, no doubt, be an exciting first major title defense for many fans, who are curious to see how Stratton does. Stratton’s meteoric rise up the card to the championship was nothing short of spectacular, but this test in Bayley will be quite another thing altogether. There is, of course, a curiosity as to whether Stratton can rise to the occasion and prove herself worthy of being the face of the women’s division.

On the other hand is Bayley and her devoted cult of followers—some of them, at the very least—tracking her from point A in NXT to the end in the main roster. Her latest character work, along with some strong in-ring performances, serves as a good reminder that she became a company favorite for lots of reasons originally. There remains a feeling building that this truly is Bayley’s greatest opportunity to gain back her footing near the front of the women’s division.

Predictions for the outcome of the match are split, with some feeling WWE continues to push Stratton as the future of the women’s division, which means a successful title defense. Others feel that Bayley is experienced and at such a high momentum level going into the bout that she should be considered the favorite to capture the championship.

The Larger Picture: WWE’s Women’s Division

But the match between Stratton and Bayley is not the only chapter unfolding within WWE’s female division. Increased focus by WWE on women’s wrestling is part of that equation too, too-which also carries over into additional screen time and increased profile angles across the women.

The landscape of the division is quite diverse and competitive at the moment. Other than Stratton and Bayley, superstars in the likes of Bianca Belair, Nia Jax, and Naomi are also in the fray for top positions. The tag team division of women also sees teams like Belair and Naomi as champions.

That sets up some serious competition, meaning the future is bright for WWE women’s wrestling. Whoever comes out on top between Stratton and Bayley, there won’t be any lack of challengers chomping at the bit to get started.

Conclusion

As the WWE Universe waits with bated breath for the January 17 episode of SmackDown, all eyes rest on Tiffany Stratton and Bayley. Their championship clash represents not just a battle for a title but a pivotal moment in the ongoing evolution of WWE’s women’s division.

The road that finally led Bayley to this opportunity was one filled with resilience and skill. From the early days in NXT to now being “The Role Model,” she has reinvented her character time and time again, staying at the forefront of women’s wrestling. This win in the Fatal 4-Way match was a continuation of the top-tier career defined by determination and success.

This is an opportunity for Tiffany Stratton to prove she is the one who belongs at the top of the mountain. Sure, her rise has been impressive, but a win over a veteran like Bayley would seal the deal on paper as a worthy champion.

Whatever the outcome will be, one thing for sure is that this Stratton-vs.-Bayley match will show the best of what the women’s division in WWE boasts. Indeed, it’ll be a collision: youth against experience, rising star against established veteran—with the more prestigious WWE Women’s Championship dangling up for grabs.

When the bell rings on January 17, fans worldwide will be in a state of anticipation as these two athletes collide in this generational divide. Will it be Tiffany Stratton, who keeps her reign going and cements herself as the future of the division? Or will Bayley regain her place at the top, adding yet another championship to an already impressive resume? One thing is certain, though: fans won’t want to miss this WWE Women’s Championship match featuring Stratton versus Bayley.

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