It's been an entire decade since WWE enforced its Women's Evolution. Following the #GiveDivasAChance movement on Twitter, the company started presenting women's wrestlers as competitors on equal par with the men on the roster instead of eye candy or bathroom breaks as in the prior Divas Era. The pillars of this movement were then-rookies Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Bayley, collectively coined by fans as The Four Horsewomen.

One decade later, the WWE Universe is in a different uproar, this time regarding Bayley being written out of WrestleMania 41's Women's Tag Team Championship match in favor of inserting Becky Lynch for her return. This wouldn't be the first time that Bayley has been ed over by WWE's top brass, at least in the eyes of the fans, but this time feels inherently different.

As WWE enters a new era, it seems Bayley no longer fits their vision, and perhaps the same can be said for the rest of the Four Horsewomen. Are they being painted in a bad light, or is it a position they placed themselves in?

Why Is Bailey Being Treated Differently From the Other Four Horsewomen?

WWE Seems to Sideline Bayley at Every Possible Chance

The narrative that WWE continues to underutilize and overlook Bayley has been gaining even more traction following the release of her interview with Chris Van Vliet. The interview was filmed before WrestleMania 41 Night Two aired, and in it, she seems to allude to being aware of WWE's plans to take her out of the match, and expecting fan backlash about it. That part has been gaining traction, but what stands out the most in that interview is her questioning out loud why she continues to be overlooked by WWE:

I don't get on the press conference. I don't get on the posters. I don't get to do the talk shows. I don't know what else to do, and it's not like [there's an issue], there's no heat backstage or anything like that. [Triple H] and I have a really good relationship. Bruce [Prichard] and I have a really good relationship, all the TR, I have such a good relationship with them, and I've always been professional. Hunter has gone on a press conference like, 'Bayley's this, she's everything that you could possibly want out of a Superstar,' which I appreciate. But it's like, alright, well, what do I need to do to get me there?

These are concerns that fans often vocalized on social media long before Bayley ever did, particularly in WWE's road to WrestleMania XL last year. Bayley was noticeably absent from WWE's big press conference despite winning the Royal Rumble match and declaring for IYO Sky's World Championship. It appears as if Bayley never did anything wrong to get shafted in the way she has time and again, but she simply doesn't fit within the vision that new management has in mind for the new era of WWE television.

Bayley Isn't the Only Four Horsewoman That WWE Has Sidelined

Sasha Banks Constantly Butted Heads With WWE

What makes the mistreatment of Bayley so disheartening is that while she's unquestionably one of the pillars of WWE's Women's Evolution, she arguably kicked it off alongside Sasha Banks. Banks vs. Bayley at WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn is often cited as the moment that began the Women's Evolution movement. It marked the first time that the WWE audience viewed a women's match with the same reverence and respect as a men's match at the time. The NXT Women's Championship match received a standing ovation from the crowd, and was deemed special enough to justify a curtain call between all Four Horsewomen in the ring.

On the main roster, though, Banks would often find herself at the center of controversy with WWE's creative staff. Narratives would spin from unmitigated rumors, but she certainly took a hiatus from WWE in 2019 due to internal frustrations with the company and mental health struggles. She'd return in August, but would take a permanent leave of absence in 2023 when internal frustrations came to a head backstage. A creative dispute with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon prompted Banks' public walkout, leading to a rechristening as Mercedes Moné on the indies, NJPW, and AEW.

WWE Superstars Frequently Butt Heads With Charlotte Flair

Another Four Horsewoman of WWE At the Center of Controversy

As much as the former Sasha Banks was often criticized for being difficult to work with backstage, the narrative exists even more so for Charlotte Flair. While backstage rumors are hard to discuss without actual evidence, many of Charlotte Flair's controversies have taken place in an actual ring in the public eye, like when she and Becky Lynch had a dispute in the ring where they threw their belts at each other on the October 22, 2021 episode of Friday Night SmackDown. Then, of course, readers can't forget her Attitude Era-esque shoot segment with Tiffany Stratton.

Most infamously, Charlotte and Nia Jax had an in-ring dispute that turned into a brawl during the August 30, 2021, episode of Monday Night Raw. Most recently, Jax was reportedly vocal about her heat with Charlotte during the unaired Roast of WrestleMania featuring Tony Hinchcliffe and Friends. In fact, most jokes at the roast seemed to be directed at Charlotte. People both in and out of the industry think that Flair carries a negative perception, both from fans and, seemingly, the people she works with, of being unprofessional and difficult to work with.

That perception has soured people on seeing Charlotte. That feeling was omnipresent upon her 2025 return. Despite being positioned as a babyface returning from a career-threatening injury, fans had no sympathy for her. Some have even compared Charlotte Flair to Hulk Hogan, all factors which prevent the audience from seeing her as anything other than a villain. As if that's not bad enough, judging from her Mania loss, it appears WWE only brought Charlotte Flair back to put over Tiffany Stratton as the star of the women's division's next generation. This makes people question why Charlotte won the Rumble in the first place, while she could have left that spot to a younger talent who is on the cusp of greatness, such as Roxanne Perez.

WWE Surely Likes Becky Lynch and Charlotte, But Do Fans Feel the Same Too?

Even in WWE's Vision, Becky Lynch Is Gaining a Negative Perception

Just like Charlotte, Becky Lynch seems the closest to fitting within WWE's vision. This isn't just because WWE went out of their way to replace Bayley as soon as Becky Lynch became available for WrestleMania, but because new management has consistently kept her in high-profile storylines and matches, even putting the World Championship on her under this new regime. It remains to be seen if her heel turn on this week's Raw foreshadows bigger plans for Lynch, or if it was done merely to put over the younger Lyra Valkyria, similar to Charlotte's position with Tiffy.

In either case, if Becky Lynch is still in WWE's good graces, she's losing the good faith of WWE audiences for taking Bayley's spot. It's not a good look for her, especially when Lynch is a repeat offender, based on how she similarly returned to dethrone Bianca Belair at SummerSlam 2021. In her book, The Man: Not Your Average Girl, she's remorseful and regretful about the moment, framing it as if she was only doing what she was told under the Vince McMahon regime. Now, years later, under a new regime, history repeats itself for Lynch.

WWE and Its Universe are Moving on From the Four Horsewomen

This brings everything full circle. The fact of the matter is that the entire original Four Horsewomen have been painted in a bad light, either by fans, WWE's top brass, or both. One can argue that they overstayed their welcome, not to say that they are past their prime, but both fans and WWE execs have moved on from them. When Bayley and co. first emerged out of the Women's Evolution, they were all considered diamonds in the rough, all excelling in the ring and on the mic far above their peers.

In the time since, multiple women's wrestlers have followed the Four Horsewomen's blueprint and, arguably in some cases, sured them. The Horsewomen stood out because they rose a cut above the rest. Today, WWE's women's division features the likes of Bianca Belair, IYO Sky, and Rhea Ripley to name a few. WWE simply doesn't need the Four Horsewomen anymore, but that does not seem to affect the favorites, Lynch and Flair, so the one left to pay the price is Bayley.

The Four Horsewomen represented a fight against the negative treatment and behavior that the women's division endured from fans and booking 10 years ago, but today, it seems that two of them at least arguably embody that same negative behavior, taking chances away from their deserving colleagues. Bayley may be the most unfortunate victim of these circumstances, seeing as, in her words, she's remained a consummate professional in WWE, but she is not reaping the rewards for her efforts.