Bayley Defends Her Recent Actions, Claims She's Being A "Role Model"

The current WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, Bayley, sat down with FOX 5 Atlanta this week to discuss her evolving character in WWE.

Bayley holds firm the idea that she's only being loyal to her best friend, Sasha Banks, when doing things like attacking Becky Lynch with a chair on RAW or using the exposed turnbuckle to secure a victory at Clash Of Champions last Sunday.

"Nothing's changing [with my character]," Bayley claims. "I know a lot of people are asking about my actions lately, but do you have a best friend? And would you do anything for your best friend? [Well], that's what I've been doing. Sasha Banks is literally my best friend, the best person I've ever met in my whole life, and I would do anything for her. And if anybody has a problem with her, I have to just be there for her and be by her side. And that's all I'm doing. I'm a champion, kids look up to me. I am a role model."

Bayley was one of the "Four Horsewomen" of WWE and NXT. Bayley, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair made such an impact during their time in NXT that it caused a ripple effect through the internet of people demanding for WWE to "#givedivasachance" on their weekly TV shows like RAW and SmackDown. This "women's evolution", as it has been called, culminated at this past year's WrestleMania 35 when Becky Lynch defeated Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair in the first-ever women's main event for both the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships.

"We were in NXT together years ago and we all kind of started together, we grew together, and we just had the common goal of wanting to make the women's matches more talked about than the men's matches," Bayley said about the Four Horsewomen. "Not to put down the men or anything, but it's like, you know what? It's time we main event these shows and it's time they buy the tickets to see us when we're on the marquee, so, that was always our goal and now it's there and we're making headlines everywhere we go."

Regardless of the other stars she knows well, Bayley claims that Banks is now the one and only friend she has a connection with both inside and outside of the squared circle.

"Sasha and I are huge best friends; we became best friends working here but outside of the ring, I would say that we're even better friends because you make certain bonds and connections because of the same love for wrestling," Bayley explained. "But outside of that, it's hard to find somebody you truly get along with, and she's the coolest person in the world to me. So I would say she's probably the only one that I have that connection with."

If you use any quote from this article, please credit FOX 5 Atlanta with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.