AEW star puts over Bayley and former WWE titleholder; says they "completely changed" mindset about NXT

Bayley's WWE journey has been praised by many, and some have noted her original run in NXT to be defining. However, Dax Harwood recently took that a few steps further and claimed that Bayley and Sasha Banks (Mercedes Moné) entirely changed the brand.

While some fans might have forgotten by now, NXT initially began as a gameshow where stars had to fight their way to a WWE contract, much like their reality show Tough Enough. Notably, one of AEW's biggest names, Bryan Danielson, once made a name for himself in WWE during his tenure on NXT.

In the latest episode of FTR with Dax Harwood, the star looked back at Bayley's NXT TakeOver Brooklyn match against Mercedes Moné and how it affected NXT.

“I think that she and Mercedes were the two to change the perception of NXT. Not just the women. That drama, that emotion, that athleticism. They completely changed the whole mindset of what NXT should and could be.” (H/T Fightful)

In my opinion, Sasha Banks vs Bayley from NXT takeover Brooklyn is the greatest women’s match of all time. https://t.co/4O5e2XlgyU

The WWE Superstar was recently reunited with Mercedes and FTR at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17. Harwood also addressed meeting his old friends again and detailed what the four got up to after their backstage reunion.

Missed out on last week's AEW Dynamite or Rampage? Catch up with the results right here.

Dax Harwood also claimed that Bayley will likely never receive the recognition she deserves

The leader of the Damage CTRL might be one of the most prominent stars in WWE, but despite her return, she doesn't seem closer to gold, especially with Bianca Belair reigning as a fan-favorite champion.

Bayley vs Bianca Belair in a I Quit match is something I’m looking forward to.

#WWE #SmackDown

https://t.co/G3nERpVrGR

Dax Harwood recently rewatched Bayley's NXT bout against Asuka, and during the same podcast, pointed out how he believes she'll not be recognized to her full potential.

“It showed me, she’ll probably never get the recognition she deserves for how good she is and how instrumental she is in women’s wrestling because other girls will get the shine and will get the accolades because of the moves that they perform." (H/T Fightful)

The star still seems very close to Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler and hasn't been shy about expressing her love for her former colleagues online. Could the duo somehow convince her to jump to AEW if she becomes unhappy in WWE? Only time will tell.