When Bianca Belair debuted on the main roster all the way back in 2020, there was no guarantee she'd become a success, let alone the longest-reigning RAW Woman's Champion in WWE history.

A fun, fan-favorite performer who got very over as a member of NXT, folks in the know were well aware of Belair's status as the “EST of NXT,” but in the world of professional wrestling, especially in the unique echo system of WWE, there's no guarantee any act will translate from one show to another, with former undercard guys becoming huge stars in another promotion and previously over act failing to latch on when they go from NXT to RAW, WWE to AEW, or even RAW to SmackDown.

Discussing this very interesting moment in her career on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Belair revealed what it was like to transition from being a heel in NXT to a babyface on the main roster and how performers like Bayley helped to make her life easier, as they gave fans a reason to cheer for her.

“I love being a good guy, I love being a babyface because it puts purpose to what I do. I feel like it has a bigger impact, and I'm able to do stuff with the community, and it's very purposeful and inspirational and impactful. That being said, when I was a heel in NXT, it was so much fun. I feel like being a heel is a lot easier. It's a lot easier to get people to not like you than to get people to like you and keep liking you and keeping it fresh. When you're a babyface, in order for me to have the attitude and come back, I have to have somebody who provokes me. They have to bring it out of me. I need like a Bayley who brings it out of me, otherwise I end up looking like a heel,” Bianca Belair told Ariel Helwani via Fightful.

“A heel is a lot of fun, you're not in a box, you can do whatever you want to do. I feel like I do have more attitude. At the same time, at NXT, I was a heel, but if I ever turned heel now, I want to be the right type of heel. I was the cool heel in NXT, which I don't feel like benefitted anyone but myself. I got myself over. If I'm in there with a babyface that's not as established, it's very hard for them. I learned when I got to the main roster how great it is to work with an amazing heel like Bayley when I first came in. The reason why I think I hit the ground running, as a good guy, was I had this amazing heel who was established and over. She helped introduce me to the audience and helped people get to know me and care about me. That's what I want to do if I ever turn heel, so I won't be the heel you like and cheer for.”

Say what you will about Belair's program with Bayley, which, especially since the inception of Damage CTRL, has been getting a little long in the tooth, but it's hard to argue that the former has seen her stock drop even a little bit after repeatedly taking the Grand Slam Champion to task over and over again. And with the Royal Rumble rapidly approaching, with a set of warm-up matches booked on SmackDown and the house show circuit to get on the same page, it's fair to assume that the two sides will be afforded a chance to duke it out in the ring once more with the most coveted prize outside of a championship belt on the line.

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Bayley still has strong feelings for this NXT match.

Speaking of Bayley, the leader of Damage CTRL recently stopped by Under The Ring to discuss all things wrestling ahead of the Royal Rumble, including her match against the then-Sasha Banks at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn with the NXT Women's Championship on the line.

While Bayley has had “bigger” bouts since, few have meant as much to her as that particular match, as it has become a legendary moment in the Four Horsewoman cannon.

“It still gets me choked up to this day, I'll still have people come up to me and Mercedes the same thing, at an autograph signing, like 50% of the people bring it up. They say the same thing whether it got them back into wrestling or because of that match, my girlfriend/wife watches wrestling with me now. I think that is so cool,” Bayley told Under The Rope via Fightful. “I just remember the end of the match when I pinned her, and the bell rang, and I just mouthed, finally. The stress and all of the build to it and the moment of becoming a champion is finally there. It's hard to put into words whether it was the match or the moment with the four horsewomen afterwards that really filled up that arena with magic. It's hard to pinpoint where it was, but I'll never forget that, I'm so grateful for that moment and night.”

After wrestling 378 matches together as either friends or foes as members of the WWE roster, it's worth wondering if fans will ever get to see Bayley work against her work wife Mercedes Mone ever again, especially if she's heading to AEW like all of the rumors seem to be pointing towards. Fortunately, fans will forever have the memories, which, in professional wrestling, is about all anyone can really ask for.