Bayley and Sasha Banks (now AEW\’s Mercedes Mone) made history in October 2015, when they became the first women to headline a WWE Premium Live Event. At NXT TakeOver: Respect, the pair competed in a 30-minute Iron Woman match, which saw Bayley win 3-2 to retain the NXT Women\’s Championship.
This match was the first women\’s main event at a WWE PLE as the pair broke down barriers on that night in Full Sail. Taking to X, the Role Model was proud to have made history a decade ago.
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The match was much more than WWE\’s first women\’s main event at a PLE. The bout was also the first-ever Iron Woman match. It was also the longest women\’s match in WWE history at the time and held the record until the following year. At Roadblock: End of the Line 2016, Charlotte Flair defeated Banks in an Iron Woman match that lasted 34:45 after going into sudden-death overtime.
While Bayley and Banks would be the first, they wouldn\’t be the last women to headline a WWE PLE. Banks would headline WrestleMania 37 (Saturday) alongside Bianca Belair in 2021, while Bayley would close out Survivor Series 2019 in triple-threat action. Several other matches have headlined events, including the Becky Lynch Vs. Ronda Rousey Vs. Charlotte Flair showdown at WrestleMania 35.
Bayley and Banks may be in separate companies today, but the connection the pair have has stood the test of time. To this day, the duo remains two of wrestling\’s most influential women.
