At WWE SummerSlam, Bayley’s time as WWE Women’s Champion was ended by Nia Jax, ending the Role Model’s 117-day reign that began at WrestleMania 40. Since then, Bayley has not competed or even appeared on WWE programming, but now we have an update on the former champion.
Though Bayley has been off-screen, she’s fine and healthy, Fightful Select reports, and has been participating in WWE’s ongoing tour of Europe. On the tour, Bayley has been competing in title rematches with Jax and has been working tag-team matches with Naomi against Jax and Tiffany Stratton.
While Bayley thankfully isn’t hurt, she is seemingly growing restless about her booking, or lack thereof, on WWE TV. On Twitter, Bayley shared the following post about being forgotten.
In the comments, many fans of the Role Model saw this post as a nod to her current absence from WWE programming and believe she deserves more. Some even suggested Bayley make a move to AEW though that seems unlikely. The Role Model signed a new multi-year contract with WWE last December, meaning unless something major occurs, she’ll be a WWE Superstar for a long time to come.
Bayley has held gold throughout her career and has worked with top names including Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus, Alexa Bliss and others. While there’s no sign yet on when fans can expect to see her on WWE TV again, there’s plenty of fans who are itching to see more of the Role Model in the ring very soon.
WWE Superstar Bayley recently shared with fans who her ideal male tag team partner would be. During her appearance at Fanatics Fest NYC, Bayley expressed her admiration for a WWE legend who has inspired countless wrestlers and captivated audiences worldwide.
Bayley’s Choice: Rey Mysterio
When asked about her dream mixed tag team partner, Bayley didn’t hesitate to name Rey Mysterio as her top choice.
Mysterio has been a significant influence in the wrestling industry and Bayley mentioned that while she has teamed up with Seth Rollins in the past, she has her eyes set on Mysterio if she were to ever be part of a Mixed Tag Team match again.
“I have teamed with Seth before. That was great. Honestly, I’m going to have to say Rey Mysterio. He’ll do all the work, and I’ll just throw powerbombs out. 619 straight into a powerbomb. Sounds good to me.”
Why Rey Mysterio?
Rey Mysterio is a name that resonates with wrestling fans of all ages. His career spans decades, and his high-flying ability, even this long into his career, has made him a fan favourite, so its no doubt that Bayley would pick someone of his stature.
Mixed Match Challenge is not something that is likely to come back, but seeing BayRey would be pretty cool.
Nia Jax has won the WWE Women’s Championship at SummerSlam 2024 against Bayley tonight from Cleveland.
Jax won the opportunity to challenge for the title after winning the Queen of the Ring tournament in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
WWE SummerSlam 2024: Nia Jax Beats Bayley
Despite their size difference, Bayley was able to hold her own against the Queen of the ring. During the match, Tiffany Stratton emerged and teased cashing in her Money in the Bank contract but did not.
In the end, it took three Annihilators for Jax to win the gold. This marks Jax’s first singles championship on the main roster since her reign as Raw Women’s Champion in 2018.
Here are all of the matches taking place at SummerSlam tonight from Cleveland, which you can watch back on demand on WWE Network and Peacock.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Damian Priest vs. Gunther
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Bayley vs. Nia Jax
Women’s World Championship Match: Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley
United States Championship Match: Logan Paul vs. LA Knight
Intercontinental Championship Match: Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker
Singles Match: CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre with Seth Rollins as special guest referee
Bloodline Rules Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa
Whether you’re at home or on the go, here’s how you can stream SummerSlam 2024 on different devices:
Streaming on Mobile Devices
Peacock App (U.S. viewers): Available for both iOS and Android devices. Simply download the app, sign in with your subscription details, and start streaming.
WWE Network App (International viewers): Also available for iOS and Android. Ensure you have a stable internet connection for a smooth viewing experience.
WWE Women’s Champion Bayley believes there is work to be done with the Women’s Tag Team Titles before WWE looks at introducing a mid-card championship. On Booker T’s Hall of Fame podcast, Bayley said would “love” for women on the main roster to have a mid-card championship of their own, believing it would help “a lot of other women shine.” Before then though, the Role Model feels more needs to be done with the already-established Women’s Tag Team Titles.
“As proud as I am of the Women’s Tag Team Titles, they also don’t always get that time. They don’t always get those matches… I just feel like they need a little more TLC (tender loving care), a little more love because so many women have been able to hold them but we haven’t been able to like have that match yet where it’s like ‘Okay, we solidified the women’s tag team division, now it’s bringing in another one.'”
Bayley’s support for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships is hardly a surprise. The Role Model was one of the more vocal proponents for introducing the titles during the late 2010s. In 2019, she and Sasha Banks (now Mercedes Mone) became the first-ever Women’s Tag Team Champions and would hold the gold again the following year.
The ‘Curse’ of the Women’s Tag Team Championships
Many have said that the Women’s Tag Titles are ‘cursed’ thanks to a mix of stop-start focuses on the division as well as other unfortunate factors. The titles were stripped from Sasha Banks & Naomi after they walked out of WWE in May 2022. The titles would be left vacant for months before being won by Aliyah & Raquel Rodriguez. That pair would lose the titles mere weeks later and Aliyah would vanish from TV before her release the next year.
In May 2023, Rodriguez and Liv Morgan were stripped of the titles when Morgan suffered a shoulder injury. Less than two months later, Sonya Deville would suffer an ACL tear as champion which ended WWE’s first openly lesbian Superstar first title reign in her nine years with the company.
Raquel Rodriguez, who has held gold in both WWE NXT and the main roster, said in 2022 that she was pushing for a mid-card title for women. In July 2024, it was reported that the idea has been discussed within WWE and that a number of talents have pushed for titles over several years. It was also stated, however, that at this time, plans are not in motion for women’s mid-card titles on the main roster.
WWE Women’s Champion Bayley was thrilled to turn heel in 2019 as she felt at the time that her career in the company had hit a serious stand-still.
Speaking on Cody Rhodes’ new show ‘What Do You Wanna Talk About?’ Bayley reflected on her heel turn, and why she was more than ready at the time.
“I was nervous because I thought what if it didn’t work, but I was also in the spot where that character, the bubbly babyface, wasn’t working either. So I was at a crossroads of ‘If I never try this I’ll never know’… So turning to a bad guy was my decision because I felt that I was going nowhere and the fact that they [WWE] wanted to go with it, it was perfect timing.”
Bayley’s Heel Turn
After years as a bubbly, lovable babyface, Bayley turned heel by helping Sasha Banks attack Becky Lynch with a steel chair. While Bayley justified her role as simply helping a friend, her villainous role was confirmed in the weeks that followed.
In her first pay-per-view match post-aiding Lynch, Bayley retained the SmackDown Women’s Title thanks to the use of an exposed turnbuckle. Again, Bayley played innocent and chalked the use of the turnbuckle on sheer coincidence and not intentional. After losing the title to Charlotte Flair at Hell in a Cell, Bayley regained the gold on the following SmackDown. A new look and theme song made Bayley’s heel turn apparent, as did her butchering of the ‘Bayley Buddies.’
Bayley’s heel turn would work out for the former Hugger who became a highlight of WWE TV, especially during the crowd-less days of the Pandemic. Ironically, Bayley’s work as a heel would become so popular with fans, that it has turned the WWE Women’s Champion into a face, albeit a much different one than before.
The WWE Universe may see women’s Intercontinental and U.S. titles introduced to the main roster, though an official decision has yet to be made.
Last week, reports circulated that WWE had women’s versions of the Intercontinental and United States Championships in the works. These titles would serve a similar role to their male equivalents and be mid-card titles on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown.
While Fightful Select could not confirm that these titles are in the works, they have been discussed within WWE. The initial report included images of championships (as seen in the image for this article,) though these are examples AI art and not real championship belts. Talent who spoke to Fightful said they’ve not heard news of any upcoming mid-card championships, but it is something that a number of talent have pushed for over several years.
The Case for Women’s Mid-Card Championships
WWE introduced its first Women’s mid-card championship at WWE NXT Battleground when Kelani Jordan won the NXT Women’s North American Title. Since her six-woman ladder match victory, Jordan has retained against Michin, Izzi Dame, and most recently Sol Ruca.
Matt Hardy made clear he’s grateful to be an American alongside some photos of himself and his family.
I am grateful to be an American. I feel fortunate that I was born into the United States. I still & will always believe in the American Dream because I was able to make it into a reality. I am blessed in so many ways that it doesn’t always seem real. I am unapologetically proud… pic.twitter.com/F8OrVzI03F
WWE Women’s Champion Bayley has expressed her interest in facing AEW wrestler, Kris Statlander.
‘The Role Model’ has faced plenty of talented wrestlers over the last decade and she now has named the former TBS Champion for a potential match. Bayley recently spoke to Bernard Colas of Le10Sport and was asked about a wrestler outside of WWE whom she wanted to face. ‘The Role Model’ named AEW star Kris Statlander as her potential opponent in the future. She went on to state that Statlander reminds her a lot of the former WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley as she she is “so athletic.” Bayley said:
“I really like Kris Statlander. I think she’s just freaking so athletic. She kind of reminds me of like Rhea Ripley. You know or like it seems like she can do everything so I’d be interested to get in the ring someday.”
Kris Statlander competed only once in WWE in April 2019. She was introduced as Kristen alongside her tag team partner Karissa (now known as Elekra Lopez) and faced then-Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) in a losing effort. Following a brief run on the independent circuit, Kris Statlander made a move to AEW in November 2019 and went on to capture the TBS Championship last year.
WWE have started to acknowledge the happenings and bring in wrestlers from other promotions. In 2020, WWE brought in then-IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James for that year’s Women’s Royal Rumble. This year TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace was also able to compete in the match. Recently, Shayna Baszler also competed at ‘GCW Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X’ last April to face Masha Slamovich. Bayley and Kris Statlander could face each other if either of them is allowed to walk through the Forbidden Door.
We will have to wait and see if a match between Bayley and Kris Statlander ever takes place. Last year, AEW President Tony Khan seemingly liked the idea of working with WWE. Read more below:
WWE Women’s Champion Bayley hopes the success of the ongoing Queen of the Ring tournament will lead to the second-ever Evolution PLE.
It’s been over five years since WWE hosted its first (and to date, only) all-female Premium Live Event. Since that October 2018 night, WWE has continued to highlight women’s wrestling with WrestleMania 35 in 2019 seeing the first (but not the last) time that a women’s match headlined a night of the Showcase of the Immortals.
Right now, the women of WWE are embarking in a tournament to crown the next Queen of the Ring. Taking to Twitter, Bayley suggested that the tournament proves that Evolution 2 would be viable.
While there may be a calling for Evolution 2, getting the event green-lit is proving easier said than done. After the initial event, it was reported that WWE Evolution had fallen below expectations in terms of ticket sales despite the considerable push it had received compared to other events of its size that year.
WWE Queen Of The Ring
The ongoing tournament is down to its final four Superstars. On the upcoming episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, Lyra Valkyria will face IYO SKY for a place in the finals. On SmackDown, Nia Jax will face Bianca Belair. The winners of these two matches will face off for the crown at WWE King And Queen Of The Ring on May 25, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Tonight’s 4/12 WWE SmackDown takes place from Detroit, Michigan at the sold-out Little Caesars Arena. Over 13,000 wrestling fans will be on hand to witness the fallout from WrestleMania 40 and the start of a new era on Friday nights.
Here’s what WWE is advertising for the show:
Cody Rhodes will appear
Bayley will celebrate her championship win at WrestleMania
Plus, a mini-tournament will also kick off tonight to determine the #1 contender to Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. We’ll see two triple-threat matches, with the winners squaring off next week to determine the next challenger:
Kevin Owens vs. Rey Mysterio vs. AJ Styles
Santos Escobar vs. LA Knight vs. Bobby Lashley
This is expected to be an eventful show. WWE always shakes things up after WrestleMania with new storylines and feuds. The Bloodline is in utter turmoil following WrestleMania 40. Roman Reigns has been conquered, The Rock is leaving again and Paul Heyman needs to figure out what to do with himself with the Tribal Chief cast into exiled. Could we see a New Bloodline emerge?
Looking Ahead
WWE DRAFT: During the RAW after WrestleMania, it was confirmed that the next WWE Draft is going down this month. The WWE Draft will be taking place on April 26th for SmackDown and April 29th for RAW. So, we only have a limited time left with these current rosters.
BACKLASH: WWE Backlash: France takes place Saturday, May 4 from Lyon, France. Jey Uso won a #1 contender’s match on Raw to become the next challenger to new World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest. While not confirmed, this clash is expected for Backlash.
Taking to Twitter, Stratus reflected on her time at WrestleMania and called Bayley’s victory a highlight of the night for her. Trish added that no one deserved the spot or the adulation of the crowd more than the Role Model and was pleased that Bayley and IYO SKY “crushed it” on WWE’s grandest stage.
What a night!! What a weekend!! It was wild to see Lincoln Financial Field absolutely lose their mind at the end of the show. Even wilder to think that was a typical Monday night back in my day! Awesome stuff!
Stratus and Bayley were on opposite ends of a six-woman tag-team match at WrestleMania 39. The match saw Stratus team with then-WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Lita & Becky Lynch to defeat Bayley, SKY, and Dakota Kai.
This isn’t the first time that the new WWE Women’s Champion has earned props from Status, a seven-time Women’s Champion in her own right. During a 2023 interview with SHAK Wrestling, Stratus put Bayley on her Mt. Rushmore of women’s wrestling, alongside herself, Lita, and All Elite Wrestling’s Mercedes Mone
In the build to the WrestleMania 39 match, Bayley shared her appreciation for Stratus and Lita coming back after having legendary careers on an episode of the Masked Man Show.
“They came back and they agreed to face us, which I think is a huge compliment and just something that we shouldn’t take for granted.”
Bayley is very happy to allow the next generation of women wrestlers to take their spot at the top but not before she has celebrated her own moment.
After defeating Becky Lynch at last night’s WrestleMania 40: Saturday event, Rhea Ripley was asked if the Four Horsewomen’s time in WWE was over. While The Mami acknowledged their contribution in the women’s revolution, she said that it was time for them to step aside.
At the post-show press conference tonight, Bayley was asked if her win over IYO SKY was an answer to the Judgement Day star. The new Women’s Champion first discussed how the young star is a once in a lifetime talent:
“I think Rhea is…she is once in a lifetime. I get so jealous of her. First I have so much respect for her because she works her butt off. She does everything. You guys see Judgement Day on every single show, like 10 times throughout the night. That is not easy and sometimes not always fun. It’s very hard.
So I have all the respect for the work she does. Plus she puts on incredible matches. She’s so young, so athletic. She does one dropkick, that I can’t even….I can’t do a drop kick to someone’s knees. It’s like everything she does makes me mad.”
Bayley then mentioned a number of young female talents that are taking the work of the Horsewomen to the next stage and proclaimed that she is very happy to watch it happen:
“But I feel as the time comes for the four horsewomen to lift the division up and get better and better as we wanted to do from the beginning. I’m glad that it’s going to someone like Rhea Ripley. It’s going to somebody like Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan. You got Zoey Starks.
There is so many women that are itching to get out there. Candice LeRae is finally showing her face out there. You all the girls in NXT Roxanne Perez, Lyra [Valkyria]. This is exactly what we wanted. So if she’s ready to take it on, I’m very proud and I’m very glad to watch it happen. But let me have my damn moment, Rhea.”
Rhea Ripley defeated Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania last year and successfully took on Becky Lynch at this year’s edition of the Show of Shows. While it’s too early to predict the future, this banter turning into a match between The Mami and Bayley at WrestleMania 41 would be very poetic.
You can check out the full WrestleMania 40 Night 2 press conference below:
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
The Superstars of WWE were dressed to kill at WrestleMania 40 with some unique attires at the two-night supershow in Philadelphia, PA.
At WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday, Becky Lynch opened the show with an attire themed around the cover of her new memoir ‘The Man, Not Your Average, Average Girl.’
After being mistaken for D-Generation X by R-Truth, DIY showed their love for the legendary duo of Triple H & Shawn Michaels.
Given that this show was in Philadelphia, The New Day paid tribute to Rocky Balboa in the six-pack tag-team ladder match. Kofi Kingston wore an attire based on the Italian Stallion, while Xavier Woods’ Apollo Creed-inspired attire also served as a nod to his TNA days as Consequences Creed.
Rey Mysterio wore the colors of the Philadelphia Eagles and included Eagles on his attire. The WWE Hall of Famer teamed with Andrade to defeat Santos Escobar and ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio.
On WrestleMania 40: Sunday, Logan Paul wore the colors of the show. The Maverick walked into the show as United States Champion and his attire bore the stars and stripes of the flag of the United States of America..
Paul successfully defended his title against Randy Orton and Kevin Owens. The Prizefighter once again wore a shirt based that referred to how many WrestleManias he’s competed at, which declared that the show was KO-Mania 8. Given that the show was in Philadelphia, it was fitting that Owens wore ECW-themed trunks for the match.
Owens didn’t just represent ECW with his ring attire. The Prizefighter’s entrance also served as a nod to the extreme promotion that went under in 2001.
Bayley walked into her Women’s Championship match with IYO SKY with an Egyptian-themed attire and entrance. As Corey Graves explained on commentary, Rosicrucian Park in Bayley’s native San Jose hosts an Egyptian museum.
Bayley’s revenge on Damage CTRL saw the Role Model capture the WWE Women’s Championship at WWE WrestleMania 40: Sunday.
In the penultimate match of the night, Bayley and SKY held nothing back. Bayley would kick out after SKY hit the moonsault, but SKY would counter out of the Role Model’s Rose Plant finisher. After Bayley hit an elbow from the top rope, Bayley’s second attempt at the Rose Plant would be successful and see her get the win and the WWE Women’s Championship.
You can check out some highlights from the match below.
This match marked Bayley’s first singles match at WrestleMania, eight years after making her WrestleMania debut in 2016. The match also marked the first singles match at WrestleMania for IYO SKY.
The Road to Bayley Vs. IYO SKY
SKY had held the WWE Women’s Championship since SummerSlam 2023. The Genius of the Sky cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Bianca Belair, who had won the title from Asuka in a triple threat that also included Charlotte Flair.
Bayley’s Road to WrestleMania 40 saw the Role Model become the seventh winner of the Women’s Royal Rumble match. Not only did Bayley win the match, but she also broke the record for the longest duration in a single Women’s Royal Rumble match.
WrestleMania is right around the corner, and Bayley got to call her shot for the grandest stage of them all after she won the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match. The breakup with Damage CTRL that followed was a long time coming.
WWE fans saw Damage CTRL break up as Bayley declared her shot at IYO Sky’s WWE Women’s Title. That split came in a hurry, but there were plans in motion already for the stable’s demise.
Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select to explain that plans regarding Bayley and Damage CTRL’s breakup dates back to last year.
The split within Damage CTRL was strategically planned several months prior to the actual breakup, and Charlotte Flair was supposed to be involved as well. It was reported that, “the idea was for Charlotte to aid Bayley in fighting off Damage CTRL when the turn eventually happened.”
Mercedes Mone’s Involvement
Mercedes Mone and WWE were in talks, but they hit a financial roadblock. Her involvement in Bayley’s breakup with Damage CTRL was never factored into any plan.
It was also noted that things may have changed if Mercedes had worked out a deal with WWE. However, that never came to pass. It was also nothing that ever got far enough along to plan out.
One source in WWE said that Mercedes signing with WWE when they had talks definitely could have changed things, but that wasn’t the working plan and things didn’t get far enough for advanced creative pitches.
Bayley will battle IYO Sky for the WWE Women’s Title at WrestleMania 40, and that will be a crescendo for a long storyline. We will have to see if Bayley will be able to overcome her former faction on the grandest stage of them all.
Bayley is mere weeks away from a golden opportunity at WrestleMania 40 and has questioned why the women of WWE can’t headline both nights of the event.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Bayley spoke about her upcoming match with WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY. In a message to Rhea Ripley, who will be challenged by Becky Lynch next month, Bayley suggested that both Women’s Championships could headline this year’s show.
“You guys can have the first night and I’ll take the second night. You know, we can do that. You never had two women main event both shows at WrestleMania. Why can’t it be this year?”
While Bayley’s aspirations are admirable, it’s unlikely either night will end with a Women’s title match. The Rock’s return to the ring in the tag-match pitting The Bloodline against Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins is virtually guaranteed to headline WrestleMania 40: Saturday. Similarly, Cody Rhodes Vs. Roman Reigns is expected to headline WrestleMania 40: Sunday.
Women at WrestleMania
Currently, two women’s matches have had the honor of closing out WrestleMania. In 2019, Becky Lynch defeated Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey to capture the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships. Two years later Bianca Belair would win the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37: Night One.
Women in the Main Event
While not considered a Premium Live Event, NXT TakeOver: Respect in October 2015 was the promotion’s first major event that saw women in the main event. That event saw Bayley retain the NXT Women’s Championship in an Iron Man match against Sasha Banks.
A year later, WWE Hell in a Cell 2016 saw the first women’s main event on the main roster. The bout saw Charlotte Flair win the Raw Women’s Championship from Sasha Banks.
The 2017 Mae Young Classic and 2018 WWE Evolution event both unsurprisingly saw female main events, given that both were all-female shows. The women would also headline the 2018 Royal Rumble event that saw Asuka win the inaugural Women’s Rumble match (as well as the debut of Ronda Rousey.)
Other events to see women close out the show include WWE TLC 2018 and 2019, as well as Elimination Chamber 2020, which was WWE’s final PLE with a live crowd before the COVID-19 pandemic. WWE’s most recent female main event came last month and saw Rhea Ripley defeat Nia Jax at Elimination Chamber 2024.
The wrestling fans at TD Garden in Boston were elated to witness Mercedes Mone make her highly-anticipated AEW debut at ‘Big Business’ on March 13. There was another huge superstar who attended the show with less fanfare – Bayley. ‘The Role Model’ was in the stands to cheer for her real-life best friend and she has now reflected on the memorable moment that she was a part of.
There was a massive buzz around the ‘Big Business’ edition of AEW Dynamite due to Mercedes Mone’s debut. While it was not announced prior, all the hints indicated to what would transpire at the show. Fans soon spotted the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bayley in the crowd and pictures surfaced on social media. But she didn’t address her presence at the show until now.
Bayley opens up on Mercedes Mone’s debut
Speaking with Digital Spy, Bayley revealed Mercedes Mone’s contribution to the former’s career. She said Mone has done so much for her and had been there during the milestone moments in her career. She is now returning the favor. ‘The Role Model’ went on to reckon that Mone’s debut was “incredible”:
“She’s the best. I wouldn’t be here without her. She’s done so much for me, even after she was done with WWE, she’s been there for me in my big moments. So I know I need to be there for her continuously throughout the years. It was incredible. I’m just happy that she was on a Wednesday where I’m like, ‘Alright, I can actually make a Wednesday, that’s one of our few days off.'”
Bayley and Mercedes Mone’s friendship dates long back to the days of NXT when Mercedes went by the name, Sasha Banks. During the interview, Bayley admitted that it was “bittersweet” to see Mercedes part ways with WWE. However, she made it clear that she’s very proud of her real-life best friend. She said:
“It was really special to see her celebrate that with her family and her friends and people she started wrestling with and see her welcomed by a new family. It’s bittersweet, but I’m very, very, very proud of her and just so grateful we got to be there.”
Bayley and Mercedes Mone
The duo joined WWE back in 2012 and tasted success in NXT together. They eventually moved to the main roster and pioneered the famous Women’s Evolution in WWE. They have had feuds in the past but they have also held the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions as The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection.
It is needless to mention that they share a great bond and Bayleywants Mercedes Mone back in WWE. But Mone is currently focused on finishing her ‘unfinished business’ with Willow Nightingale. On the other hand, Bayley is aiming to dethrone WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY at WrestleMania 40.
2024 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bayley recently made her presence felt at the Finserv Forum during the NBA clash between Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.
Bayley remains to be one of the most popular stars in WWE and has attained several accolades during her illustrious career. However, winning the Royal Rumble had been the one achievement that had eluded her for long.
She finally added that to her long list of achievements this year. The hugger has since gotten into a feud with her former Damage CTRL partners. Before her confrontation with the former teammates on SmackDown, ‘The Role Model’ enjoyed her time at the NBA game last night.
Bayley hypes up the fans
A video clip recently emerged on social media where Bayley could be seen walking out to her theme song during the recent NBA game and was given a special introduction. She received a warm ovation from the fans and promoted tonight’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown. She said:
“Milwaukee, thank you for having me. That’s right I did win the 2024 Royal Rumble alright and I’m so excited to be here in this building tomorrow night, sold out might I add. Thank you Milwaukee.”
Bayley later took to Twitter/X and sent out a message. She yet again thanked the Milwaukee Bucks for hosting her and also congratulated the team for their triumph. The former Women’s Champion then reiterated that SmackDown is sold out and hyped the upcoming episode. She wrote:
“Thank you for hosting da Role Model, @NBA @Bucks! Way to get that win tonight. #Smackdown will be SOLD OUT in this very arena tomorrow night. Thank you Milwaukee!!” Bayley shared.
‘The Role Model’ has a huge task at hand heading into WrestleMania 40. After winning the Women’s Royal Rumble, she set her sights on WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY after her former Damage CTRL teammate attacked her.
Alongside, SKY, the other members, Kabuki Warriors turned on Bayley but she found support in Dakota Kai. Unfortunately, Kai eventually crossed her too. Bayley then faced Dakota on SmackDown last week. That match ended in a DQ after the former was outnumbered by Damage CTRL.
Bayley is now heading into the high-stakes match as an underdog and only time will tell if she is able to walk out as the champ at WrestleMania 40.
AEW Big Business went down at the TD Garden in Boston, and there was considerable excitement from the crowd all night. Mercedes Mone’s AEW debut dominated discussions prior to the event, and she had a very close friend who was there for the big night.
The Big Business show brought a lot of attention and fans in Boston. It seems that Bayley also made the show, and she was spotted during the event.
Bayley at Big Business
During the March 13 episode of AEW Dynamite, Mercedes Mone entered the scene, confirming her All Elite status. While her debut had been widely anticipated, her appearance comes as no surprise to many amidst swirling rumors.
Ahead of the event, rumors circulate about Bayley and Naomi attending to show support for their friend. We’re not sure about Trinity, but Bayley was spotted in the Garden
WWE Superstar Bayley was indeed spotted at TD Garden, surprising fans all over, but they shouldn’t be too shocked considering their past. While Naomi’s presence remains unconfirmed, considering their past support for Mone, it wouldn’t be unexpected is she was there too.
It appears that Trinity, Tamina, and Bayley were all there at Big Business. The video from Naomi on Twitter/X was a pretty funny hint that they made the show.
Connection Between Mercedes Mone & Bayley
Bayley has said in the past that she begs Mercedes Mone all the time to come back to WWE. That didn’t happen this time around, but you never know what the future holds. At this point, Mone has a multi-year contract with AEW to deal with.
Mone and Bayley were also at Trinity’s Hard to Kill match in Impact Wrestling. They are known to support each other, even if they aren’t in the same company.
SEScoops will have a lot more on this story, and so much more, so please keep checking back for future updates.
AEW is ready to light Boston up with tonight’s ‘Big Business’ show, and two WWE Superstars have come to Beantown to support their debuting ally.
Much of that buzz around AEW Big Business surrounds Mercedes Mone, who is expected to make her official AEW debut during tonight’s show. Mone, who has been on AEW’s payroll for some time, has hardly been subtle when it comes to her involvement in the show.
WWE Superstars in Boston
Mone’s debut is being seen by many as a sure thing, and the presence of two WWE Superstars certainly adds credence to the belief she’ll debut. Bayley and Naomi, both close friends of Mone, are in Boston ahead of tonight’s show, PW Insider reports.
The three have been closely linked for years, with Bayley and Mone being the ‘Boss ‘n Hug Connection’ in WWE while it was with Naomi that Mone walked out of that same promotion two years ago. Bayley and Naomi made the trip to Japan in January 2023 to watch Mone make her NJPW debut at that year’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 event. The pair were also at NJPW Battle in the Valley 2023, which saw Mone capture the IWGP Women’s Championship.
Bayley and Mone were in attendance when Naomi, as Trinity, made her debut for TNA Wrestling (IMPACT Wrestling at the time) in May of last year. The pair were also present at TNA Hard to Kill 2024, which saw Trinity lose the TNA Knockouts Championship to current champ Jordynne Grace.
AEW Dynamite – March 13th, 2024
Here is what fans can look forward to on tonight’s show.
AEW World Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Wardow
The Elite vs. Eddie Kingston & Penta El Zero Miedo & Pac
WWE WrestleMania 40 could see music from rock sensations Paramore if the band’s lead singer Hayley Williams has her way.
WrestleMania 40 will take place in just four weeks time from the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. The show will be the fifth-annual WrestleMania to take place across two nights, a tradition that bean thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paramore and WrestleMania?
Last month, A movement began on social media for Paramore to perform at WrestleMania 40. This caught the attention of Bayley, who expressed her support for the fan campaign.
Now, the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble winner has once again taken to social media, this time with a message from the band itself. Bayley shared a video of Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams who made clear that she was aware of wrestling fans wanting Paramore at WrestleMania. Williams gave the Role Model permission to use the band’s hit ‘Simmer’ for her entrance next month.
”Bayley says ‘Dude, I wanna play Simmer for my entrance at WrestleMania.’ You have our permission, that’s sick, holy s***.”
The Role Model is a huge fan of Paramore and has made no secret of her devotion. In 2018, Bayley wore a Paramore-themed attire for WWE Evolution, the company’s first (and to date, only) event to feature an all-female card. Bayley teamed with Sasha Banks and Natalya to defeat the Riott Squad at the event.
Bayley at WrestleMania 40
Paramore or no Paramore, Bayley will compete for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40. The Role Model will challenge former Damage CTRL ally IYO SKY who has held the title since SummerSlam 2023. This will mark Bayley’s first singles match at the Show Of Shows.
Bayley won the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match, and then she staked her claim against IYO Sky at the show of shows. It seemed that Bayley would have, at least, one ally for the showcase of the immortals, but that is not the case.
The Kabuki Warriors defended the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles against Bayley and Dakota Kai this week on SmackDown. Many fans wondered if a title change would be in the cards, but they got a lot more. This was not Bayley’s lucky moment, either.
Just as Bayley was crawling to her corner for a hot tag for Kai, she jumped off the apron. This was a big heel turn, and it left Bayley all alone.
It didn’t take much time for Asuka and Kairi Sane to take out Bayley in easy fashion. Then there was a four-on-one attack on Bayley.
It appears that Bayley is going into WrestleMania 40 as a huge underdog. She will have nobody in her corner from the look of it, but she also might thrive in that underdog role.
After the match, Damage CTRL was very happy with themselves backstage. Then Jade Cargill stepped around the corner to confront them. Nothing happened at that time, but that definitely planted the seeds of something big in the future.
The main event picture surrounding Roman Reigns, The Rock, and Cody Rhodes has gobbled up a disproportionate amount of the spotlight on the Road to WrestleMania. Nonetheless, one of the best-built stories WWE has cultivated in recent months revolves, instead around Bayley.
Bayley won the women’s Royal Rumble and is on a collision course with Iyo Sky after splintering from the Damage CTRL faction. Bayley reached new heights in these past four-plus years as a heel in WWE, but the timing is right for her to return to her babyface roots. There’s all the potential in the world for this new run to exceed Bayley’s first face campaign at the dawn of her WWE career.
WWE Main Roster Fans Have Been Along For The Ride
When WWE launched NXT as its developmental brand and, all the more so, after the WWE Network came around and made developmental programming more accessible for a wider range of fans, the company faced a conundrum. On one hand, NXT was very good. It featured great matches and creative, which cultivated a loyal fan base. The black and gold brand appealed especially well to fans who appreciated the stronger indie sensibility there over what was happening on the main roster.
On the other hand, there are real questions as to whether NXT was succeeding as a developmental training ground, given the disconnect between its style and that of Raw or SmackDown. That’s not to mention that a series of NXT stars struggled on their transition to the main roster.
Bayley was among stars who shone bright in NXT—working her way up the ranks until she became Women’s Champion and arrived as the face of her division. She carried some of that momentum into her main roster run, including promptly becoming a part of the title picture, but never gathered nearly the same level of momentum on Raw or SmackDown.
Part of the problem was a disconnect in how much fans knew or appreciated her story. While a portion of the audience followed NXT faithfully, there was also a portion that only did so casually, or who did not watch the black and gold brand at all. So, while, Bayley came across as a talented hand, they didn’t have elements like her climbing the ranks or her relationship with Izzy to tap into and fall in love with the character. The result was that she felt like a pretty flat babyface a few months into her run.
In 2024, fans know who Bayley is and what she’s capable, not to mention that they’ve had a over seven years to invest in her character. No longer is she the goody-two-shoes they’re supposed to like. They actually like her.
Bayley Is Enough Of A Veteran WWE Fans Like Her By Default
Ric Flair has more than once posed a classic example of the problems with trying to book a truly great heel veteran. No matter how much better a performer is at playing the bad guy, when fans have invested in a performer for long enough at a high enough level, they tend to respect him. Moreover, they want to cheer him.
This same matter has played out for talents ranging from Triple H to Randy Orton to Stone Cold Steve Austin, and there’s a case to be made that it’s happening now with Bayley. The 2024 Royal Rumble winner has proven herself as a great hand and a likable personality inside the ring and out.
While Bayley has succeeded as a heel, there’s no question she also has an organic groundswell of support behind her from the WWE Universe. Moreover, her heel run stretched long enough that fans were itching to cheer her again, and now they have their chance.
Bayley Has A Compelling Storyline To Kickstart This Babyface Run
A big part of what got Bayley over the hump as one of the franchise players in NXT was her rivalry with Sasha Banks. The Hugger was an underdog who worked her way up to title contention, only to be overmatched against The Boss. As time marched on, though, and a proper feud took shape, Bayley arrived at her crowning moment with show-stealing performance against Banks at the original NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
Enough time had passed and few enough eyes—proportionally—were on Bayley when she was working classics against Banks that the good will from that run didn’t really carry over to the main roster. Now Bayley has another shot as a babyface, and has not only a Royal Rumble win, but a long story WWE has told in organic fashion between her and Damage CTRL.
Having her own faction betray her by degrees has set up Bayley as sympathetic. Moreover, her wielding a pipe to fend off an attack she saw coming has set her up not as a victim, but an all-too-rare intelligent babyface who was ready to defend herself against a heel surprise.
The most likely scenario is that Bayley beat Iyo Sky for the title at WrestleMania 40, but even if she doesn’t, she’ll remain a credible part of the title picture as a face, and likely as not win the title shortly thereafter. In either case, Sky is not only a performer Bayley has history and emotional story with, but also an outstanding worker sure to facilitate great matches as Bayley returns to the top.
Only time will tell how Bayley’s new babyface run will play out or how fans will receive it. Regardless, there are plenty of reasons for optimism and plenty of history to play off to make this one of the best runs of her career.
The WWE Superstars shined bright at Super Bowl LVIII which saw the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers face off in the Big Game.
Super Bowl LVIII is taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, which WWE fans will recognize as the host of SummerSlam 2021. The game went into overtime after the four quarters resulted in a 19-19 tie.
WWE Superstars at the Super Bowl
Allegiant Stadium was packed with football fans and there were several WWE Superstars who made their presence felt. WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio had a great view of the game in support of the 49ers.
It wasn’t just WWE Superstars who were at the Big Game. On social media, AEW’s Britt Baker was able to share a selfie with Bayley.
Wrestling & the Super Bowl
Several names from the world of wrestling competed in the Super Bowl. Monty Brown played in the Big Game before he’d make his mark in WWE as Marcus Cor Von. Raw commentator, Pat McAfee played in Super Bowl XLIV in his rookie year but was unsuccessful. Rob Gronkowski is better known for his NFL success but was briefly a WWE Superstar and former 24/7 Champion.