Sasha Banks vs. Asuka vs. Bayley: Who Has the Brightest Future on WWE Raw?

WWE finds itself in an incredibly lucky situation: Even with Becky Lynch gone, it has more than one top Superstar capable of carrying the company.

Talk about a good problem to have. WWE has Raw champion Asuka, an NXT legend and one of the best in the business. It has Smackdown champ Bayley, finally freed of her goody two-shoes ways and doing amazing things. And then there's Banks, arguably the company's biggest Superstar able to capitalize on the audience-less era.

So the question boils down to a simple one without a simple answer: Who has the brightest future on Raw, WWE's flagship program? All three have great claims, though only one figures to emerge the winner.

Most WWE Superstars have had a hard time with the audience-less era. It's tough to cut a promo to empty seats, and the in-ring work just doesn't have the same impact without fans reacting to every little thing.

But not Sasha Banks.

The Boss has done nothing short of excel, stepping into the void created by Becky Lynch's departure and telling a captivating tale alongside tag team partner Bayley. She's also show-hopped, hitting up all three weekly broadcasts at one point or another for great tag or singles work.

At this point, Banks is one of the hottest things going in the company today, and she deserves the top spot. There are countless stories she could tell with Bayley or otherwise.

And when Lynch returns? Fans have already had a brief taste of the special work they can do together.

Asuka's ascension to multiple-time women's champion isn't by any sort of accident.

One of the most dominant Superstars to grace NXT via the 900-plus-day undefeated streak and a title win there, as well as title wins on both main-roster weekly broadcasts, says it all about Asuka.

Not only is Asuka a wicked solo competitor who is believable in the ring with anyone, she's also put on some excellent tag work. She's proved to be an incredibly dynamic character crowds can get behind as an underdog or outright vilify because of her wicked actions.

In short, she's a total package. Asuka can headline the women's division while easily sparring with the likes of Charlotte Flair. There's also another thing going for her: It hasn't been done before. Her serving in the lead role wouldn't be a retread.

Sometimes the most interesting characters make for the best headlines, and in Asuka's case, it doesn't get much better.

Bayley's served as the headline act on a brand plenty of times.

But her doing so is more interesting now than it ever was given the switchover to a heel who hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Like Banks, she's embraced the audience-less format and maybe even benefited from it once WWE started shining a spotlight on her.

But here's the real kicker: Bayley has been the top champ on all three major brands. She's been a tag champ. She's been heel and face. But she hasn't been the good guy in what feels like a long time.

That might be the ticket for Bayley moving forward if she's going to unexpectedly slide into the top spot on a program like Raw. It would be very easy for her to flip a switch and go right back to being the feel-good underdog fans can't help but support if one of or both Asuka and Banks turn on her.

Cliche or not, it feels like WWE is hitting on the tip of the proverbial iceberg with Bayley's character, which just so happens to be supported by some of the best in-ring and character work in the company.

Close as this one might seem, it's Banks by a long shot.

And it's pretty clear from the way WWE has used her recently too. She's been on NXT fighting Io Shirai. She's been on Raw doing tags with guys like Dolph Ziggler. She's had fights on SmackDown and teamed with Bayley all over the place.

When WWE uses something like tag belts as an excuse to put a Superstar all over the place as often as three times in one week despite a roster divide, it says it all.

Why not? Banks hasn't had that one big moment to shine. She's won individual titles, yes, but she's always seemed to drop them quickly and play a secondary role to someone like Charlotte Flair. But with some of the biggest names out and her roster-best ability in most areas, it is the perfect time for her to sit atop the ladder.

Whether this means a split with Bayley is hard to say, but that's another strong wrinkle in her favor—Banks can do pretty much anything and demand the fans' attention. From ability to appeal that stretches well beyond wrestling circles and off into the mainstream, Banks clearly has the brightest future of the three.