The Superstars of WWE have weighed in as to whether it’ll be the San Francisco 49ers or the Kansas City Chiefs who stand tall at Super Bowl LVIII.
The Big Game is mere hours away with excitement for the Super Bowl at a fever pitch. The match will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, which WWE fans will recognize as the host of SummerSlam 2021.
WWE Stars Give Their Picks for Super Bowl LVIII: 49ers or Chiefs?
Football fans have their picks for who’ll be winning Super Bowl LVIII, as do the WWE Superstars. In a recent video, the Superstars were asked for their predictions for the Big Game.
In the 49ers’ corner, the team has Jey Uso, who made it clear he’s red and gold ’til he’s dead and cold and threw in a YEET for good measure. San Francisco’s own ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio is unsurprisingly backing the 49ers, as is the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match winner Bayley and Alpha Academy’s Otis.
The Kansas City Chiefs have some considerable star power of their own, in addition to Taylor Swift. R-Truth is backing the Chiefs, while Baron Corbin was practically offended anyone thought he wouldn’t be rooting for the team. Carlito is also backing the 49ers, as is WWE SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis. WWE Raw announcer Samantha Irvin is also backing the 49ers.
Not everyone had a clear-cut favorite, as Byron Saxton said that Taylor Swift was going to win the game herself. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka and Kairi Sane simply laughed off the question. When the pair were asked the question in 2020 (which again featured the 49ers and the Chiefs), the Kabuki Warriors made it clear that they didn’t care.
There’s some WWE involvement happening right now at Super Bowl LVIII…
Damage CTRL started out with Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO Sky. That SummerSlam 2022 surprise marked one of Triple H’s first big flexes in creative, as he created the stable by bringing Kai back from free agency and convincing IYO to stick around WWE instead of going back to Japan. Now, the stable is much different.
Changes for Damage CTRL
Asuka and Kairi Sane joined the stable much later, after Kai was taken out of action with a knee injury. She has remained on television consistently, but she hasn’t been wrestling. Bayley soon found herself losing control of the stable’s direction.
In recent memory, Bayley won the 2024 women’s Royal Rumble match. This gave her the chance to call her shot at WrestleMania. She picked IYO Sky as her opponent for the WWE Women’s Title, and then she was promptly kicked out of the stable.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that it is very interesting to note that Damage CTRL filmed graphics for WrestleMania with only IYO Sky, Asuka, and Kairi Sane, with no Dakota Kai in sight.
Damage Ctrl filmed WrestleMania graphics without Kai for what it’s worth.
It was also noted that, “Kai should be returning relatively soon.” It will be interesting to see how WWE re-inserts her into the situation.
What’s Next For Bayley
Bayley is now a babyface, and she may need an ally. Dakota Kai siding with her may add an intriguing aspect to this WrestleMania program.
On a related note, CM Punk spoke out in a big way about how he believes Bayley deserves far more respect on her name. She won the 2024 women’s Royal Rumble, and she wasn’t included in promotional material, and she wasn’t featured in the WrestleMania kickoff press conference event at the T-Mobile Arena in Last Vegas this week.
SE Scoops will have more coverage on this story as additional information is made available.
CM Punk was on hand in the T-Mobile Arena as WWE brought their WrestleMania kickoff press conference. It was quite an event, one that concluded with a huge cliffhanger.
During his time at the event, CM Punk addressed a camera, where he let it be known that Bayley deserves more love. She wasn’t featured on promotional material, nor was she present at the T-Mobile Arena for the big event in Las Vegas. Punk believes that Bayley is more than deserving of a WrestleMania spotlight.
“I really need to, as a broadcast journalist, I really need to talk about Bayley, and how she won the Royal Rumble for the women, and she wasn’t represented on the poster, I felt like she needed a presence there. Got caught up talking about The Rock and Reigns and Cody and Seth and all that, but very much in the mix is Bayley who won the Royal Rumble and you need to put some respect on her name.”
“Very much in the main event mix is Bayley she won the Rumble don’t forget it put some respect on her name”
Bayley decided to face IYO Sky at WrestleMania 40. Rhea Ripley made reference to this during the WrestleMania kickoff show event, but she actually referenced IYO with the last name Shirai, which hasn’t been the name she’s used since her main roster call-up. We will have to see where Bayley vs IYO falls on the WrestleMania card, but CM Punk is definitely pulling for them to get a good spot.
CM Punk is injured, and he will have to set out this year’s show of shows. This is sad, but at least he is around to provide his two cents on how this year’s event is taking shape.
Bayley won the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble, and she made history in the process. This week on WWE SmackDown, she made a big decision about her WrestleMania future.
Bayley Makes A Big Decision
Bayley took to the ring along with Damage CTRL this week on SmackDown. She had a big decision to make about the showcase of the immortals, and the fans in Alabama were there to cheer her on.
After making a point that she’s done everything she can at WrestleMania, competing for both singles titles, tag team gold, and even hosting the event, the Damage CTRL member got around to making her decision. She, of course, gave credit to her Damage CTRL stable for standing by her side the whole time, through thick and thin.
She teased facing Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania, but then she turned her focus to her stable. Then Bayley confronted them for laughing at her. She spouted off a bit of Japanese at them, for all the times they talked about her behind her back.
Bayley said she just wanted Damage CTRL to be the best, to take things to the top as a stable. She asked IYO Sky what happened. Then Kairi Sane and Asuka jumped Bayley from behind. Finally, Bayley retrieved a lead pipe, and that helped her fight off the three-on-one attack.
Bayley will take on IYO Sky at WrestleMania 40. She has a story to tell, and now she has a grudge to settle after this violent breakup. She told Sky that they will meet at WrestleMania, and that drew a big response from the crowd.
In the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match, Bayley joined from the #3 position after Natalya and the returning Naomi. Supported by her Damage CTRL allies Asuka and Kairi Sane, Bayley achieved a historic feat.
She not only emerged victorious in the match but also set a record for the longest run in a singles Women’s Royal Rumble, lasting over one hour and three minutes. Her remarkable performance concluded with the elimination of Morgan, securing her win in the match.
Damage CTRL leader Bayley recently gave a cheeky response as she was not included in WWE’s promotional banner.
‘The Role Model’ is heading to WrestleMania 40 after a historic win in Saturday’s 30-Woman Royal Rumble match.
Bayley, a multi-time Women’s Champion in WWE, has an opportunity to showcase that she’s still a champion material. She is eyeing to cement her legacy in WWE after winning the Royal Rumble, an achievement that has eluded her for a long time.
Bayley’s performance this past Saturday set a new record for the longest time spent a Women’s Royal Rumble at one hour and three minutes.
She entered at #3 following Natalya and the returning Naomi. After receiving some help from Damage CTRL teammates, Asuka and Kairi Sane, she eliminated Candice LaRae, Indi Hartwell, Maxxine Dupri and finally Liv Morgan to win the 7th Women’s Royal Rumble.
On January 30, WWE dropped the posters for their upcoming Road To WrestleMania tour with 2023 and 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes and 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair gracing them. It seems that didn’t set well with Bayley.
Bayley’s response
She quote-tweeted and gave a hilarious reply as she asked why the female superstar didn’t look like her. She wrote:
Bayley has secured a championship match at WrestleMania 40 with her victory. Bayley, the self-proclaimed ‘Mami-Slayer’ is eyeing to go up against Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania.
Having said that, a lot of people doubt that a Bayley-Rhea bout is in the works. Some have conjectured that the ‘Role Model’ might battle WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY at the two-night mega event in April, given the tensions within Damage CTRL.
Who will Bayley face at WrestleMania 40?
By winning the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble, Bayley earns the right to challenge for any championship at WrestleMania 40.
The two top women’s champions in WWE are Rhea Ripley (Women’s World Champion) and her Damage CTRL partner, Iyo Sky (WWE Women’s Champion).
Bayley announced that she will make her decision on who she will challenge at WrestleMania 40 on this Friday’s February 2 episode of SmackDown.
Posted January 31st, 2024 in News, WWE. Tagged: Bayley.
After 2K revealed the character design of Bayley for WWE 2K24, the image quickly went viral, but not for positive reasons. The model bore little resemblance to the female wrestler and was generally poorly executed.
The official WWEGames Twitter account, responsible for revealing in-game character models, shared Bayley’s image from WWE 2K24. However, fans observed significant discrepancies in the character’s appearance, including hair that didn’t match Bayley’s and a face that aged her considerably.
It appears that the official account removed the post after facing backlash, but the damage was already done as the image had circulated widely within the community. Bayley herself took notice and responded with “HELP ME,” an understandable reaction. Below is a glimpse of the character model:
WWE 2K24 will be playable on two different dates, depending on the version you purchase:
Tuesday, March 5, 2024: Deluxe and Forty Years of WrestleMania editions
Friday, March 8, 2024: Standard and Standard Cross-Gen Digital editions
WWE 2K24 Covers: 3 Editions
The Standard Edition features “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes on the cover, while the Deluxe Edition showcases Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair. The game boasts updated gameplay, new match types, and more. Notably, it includes the 2K Showcase of the Immortals, celebrating 40 years of WrestleMania, along with four new match types like Ambulance and Special Guest Referee, and two new MyRISE experiences, among other additions.
WWE 2K24 boasts a massive roster of wrestlers, comprising current-day Superstars and Legends. The roster includes icons like The Rock, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Roman Reigns, Andre the Giant, Becky Lynch, Batista, Kurt Angle, Asuka, Bret Hart, Brock Lesnar, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and Chyna, among others.
Prior to her victory in the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble, Bayley loudly proclaimed that if she won the match, she intended to challenge WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley for her title at WrestleMania 40. Ripley, however, believes “The Role Model” should be looking elsewhere right now.
Following Bayley’s Royal Rumble win, ‘The Eradicator’ addressed this previous claim during an interview with Denise Salcedo, suggesting that Bayley may be better served by looking inward at her Damage CTRL stablemates, particularly WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY.
“I love Bayley. I think she’s great,” Ripley said. “I’ve danced with her in the ring a couple times, and we’ve teamed together with WarGames and all that.I want to say that she has love for me too, and she wouldn’t choose me for Wrestlemania and just throw away her ticket to WrestleMania like that. If I were her, I would keep my eyes on the people around her because it’s good to keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.”
As Ripley alluded to, recent months have seen the majority of Damage CTRL (IYO SKY, Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane) gradually distance themselves from Bayley. Coming off her Royal Rumble win, Bayley now has an opportunity to confront that divide head-on by facing SKY for her title at WrestleMania 40.
For right now, though, wrestling fans will have to stay tuned to find out which champion Bayley will officially issue a challenge to.
Assessing The Royal Rumble Field
While she didn’t partake in this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble, Rhea Ripley kept a close eye on the events that unfolded within the match. In surveying her potential competition, Ripley noted this year’s entrants thoroughly impressed her, making her even more excited to see who would eventually prevail.
“I was just standing there watching it and I’m like ‘Yo, all of these women they’re competitors.’ I could easily step in the ring with any one of them and you would think that I’m in danger and I love that,” Ripley said.
“That’s a way that the women’s division is thriving and it’s all about competition. I live for that, so I was so over the moon and thrilled to see these women going in there and getting their opportunity to shine. Then watching the whole thing, like everyone did so exceptionally well. I’m proud of our division. We really showed everyone exactly what we’ve got and I’m very proud of them.”
This year’s field featured several surprises as well, including the returns of Naomi (also known as Trinity) and Liv Morgan. Recent signee Jade Cargill also made her official WWE in-ring debut, eliminating the likes of Becky Lynch, Nia Jax, and Naomi during her outing.
Damage CTRL leader Bayley is headed to WrestleMania 40 after a thrilling victory in Saturday’s 30-Woman Royal Rumble match.
Bayley, a multi-time Women’s Champion in WWE, has earned an opportunity to show the world that she’s still a championship-caliber competitor. She’s also looking to build a legacy on par with her peers Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks, which is no small task.
WWE regularly plans out big matches months in advance, but the company also makes changes to plans at the last minute on a pretty regular basis. The Royal Rumble winners set the course for the top matches at WrestleMania, so late changes to the winners would indicate that situation is still in flux.
According to PWInsider, WWE had Bayley booked to win the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble for quite some time and this was not a late decision.
Bayley made history at the Royal Rumble
Bayley’s performance this past Saturday set a new record for the longest time spent a Women’s Royal Rumble at one hour and three minutes.
After entering at #3 following Natalya and the returning Naomi, Bayley (with some help from Damage CTRL allies Asuka and Kairi Sane) eliminated Candice LaRae, Indi Hartwell, Maxxine Dupri and finally Liv Morgan to win the 7th Women’s Royal Rumble.
Who was backstage at the Royal Rumble?
In other Royal Rumble news, several pro wrestling legends were backstage visiting.
Based on speaking with people at the event, as well as photos posted on social media, the list of special guests included Mike Rotunda, Brian Blair, Steve Keirn, Dory Funk Jr. & Marti Funk and Gerald Brisco.
Bayley has been one of the top heels of WWE roster since 2019 and consequently has been booed by fans. The last few months have seen a change in this emotion however. In the ongoing storyline with her Damage CTRL teammates, the former Women’s Champion has gained the sympathy of people and she has actually been getting cheered by fans more and more.
This change of attitude was in full display at the Royal Rumble. Bayley got a huge applause from the audience as she won the Women’s Battle Royal to earn a title shot at WrestleMania 40.
The Damage CTRL star was asked about this change during the post-show press conference. The WWE star explained that her character has always reflected her feelings in real life and fans are welcome to celebrate her success together:
“I mean, I don’t tell you guys what to do. You guys just cheer when you want to cheer. So, to me honestly, this is the truth. I have been myself throughout this whole time. I said it in an interview my whole career and my whole character change and everything has been real.
When I first started, I was excited to be here. I was [like] ‘This is the coolest thing ever. It’s my dream.’ And as things weren’t going my way throughout the years and no one was latching on, I had to do something to save my career. So everything I’ve been doing has been real and genuine and natural.
This is who I am now so if you guys are liking it, and you guys want to see me win then hell yeah. I’ve been telling you guys that I’m supposed to be winning these matches. Let’s celebrate together. So to me it’s all been part of what I’ve been knowing all along.”
Bayley Is Thankful To Dusty Rhodes
Bayley also talked about the Men’s Rumble winner Cody Rhodes and his father Dusty Rhodes. She mentioned how she wanted to quit the company only a month after joining it and it was the American Dream that saved her:
“I’ve said it for years, but Dusty he just had his projects in everybody. He just saw the one thing in everybody that we couldn’t see in ourselves. Byron’s done this. He helped me in promo classes all the time.
The fact that I had my own TV show, Ding Dong Hello just blows my mind. I wish Dusty can see that because they had to pull me in for extra promo classes and make me do interviews and all this stuff. Because I was so shy but Dusty, just seeing something in me.
Whatever I was shy to share he wanted me to embrace, because he knew that was what was going to connect me with people. That’s what saved me. I would have given up in my first month, I wanted to be done.”
Damage CTRL’s Bayley is going to WrestleMania 40 after winning the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match.
The Role Model entered the match from the #3 position, following Natalya and the returning Naomi. With the help of her Damage CTRL allies Asuka and Kairi Sane,
Bayley scored several eliminations on her way to victory, including Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell, and Maxxine Dupri. Bayley eliminated Liv Morgan to win. The Rumble marked Morgan’s return to the ring following a lengthy injury.
She fought for a record-setting 63 minutes and 3 seconds… and now, Philadelphia is calling her.
Not only did Bayley win the match, but she also made history for the longest run in a singles Women’s Royal Rumble match. The Role Model lasted over one hour and three minutes before eliminating Morgan to win the match.
With her win, Bayley has guaranteed herself a championship match at WrestleMania 40. Bayley, the self-described ‘Mami-Slayer’ has claimed that she will challenge Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania for the Women’s World Championship.
That being said, many suspect that a Bayley-Rhea match isn’t in the works. Given the teased tensions within Damage CTRL, some have speculated that the Role Model will challenge WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY at the two-night megashow this April.
As the WWE Royal Rumble approaches, Bayley is ready to show the wrestling world that 2024 will be her year. She helped make Damage CTRL (Iyo Sky, Asuka, Kairi Sane & Dakota Kai) one of the dominant groups in the WWE. While she is proud of the success of her faction, ‘The Role Model’ wants to win gold and cement her legacy this year.
In an interview with Uproxx Sports, Bayley boasted that she believes she is on a different level than her peers and plans to prove it at the WWE Royal Rumble on January 27. Uproxx Sports’ Raj Prashad transcribed the following quotes.
“To me, this year in particular is about cementing my legacy and my career,” Bayley said. “I’ve done a lot up until this point. With Damage CTRL, I feel like I’m on a different level than everybody else, even the women that I came up with because it comes with a different responsibility.”
This year marks Bayley’s fifth attempt at winning the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. However, ‘The Role Model’ is seemingly one of the favorites to be victorious and challenging for a woman’s title.
Bayley’s Chances Of Winning The 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble Match
She is currently involved in a storyline where her group is counting on her to win and challenge WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley at WWE WrestleMania 40 in April. She also aims for all members of Damage CTRL to hold titles at the same time this year.
“Let me just say it, this is the last time I’m gonna say it. IYO is champion, right? And in Damage CTRL, that means we’re all kind of a champion,” said Bayley.
She explains, “She deserves to have that all to her own. Kabuki Warriors, we’re gonna get them those tag titles because it’s what they deserve. If I get a title from Rhea Ripley, how cool would that look?”
She added that she wants Kai to win the NXT Women’s Championship when she is cleared to wrestle again. This would mark a rare achievement, with an all-female faction in WWE simultaneously holding all the women’s titles in the company.
“…We’re about making history. We’re about never before seen, and we’re about taking over the world. So, the only way we could do that is by knocking Mami off her little high horse. She thinks she’s the stuff right now. Wait til I get my hands on her,” said Bayley.
It’s unclear if Bayley will ultimately win, as she has 29 other opponents vying to defeat her in the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. That said, the former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion remains confident that she will shock the world and have her moment this weekend.
The future of Damage CTRL may be looking increasingly uncertain, but Bayley hopes to bring an NXT Superstar on board when the time is right.
Damage CTRL debuted at SummerSlam 2022, which marked the return of Bayley after an injury that kept her out of the ring for over a year. The Role Model showed up in Nashville with Dakota Kai (who had been released earlier that year) and Io Shirai (since renamed IYO SKY) whose contract was close to expiring.
A New Member?
In November of last year, Kairi Sane and Asuka joined the faction, despite the Empress’ previous battles with Damage CTRL. On Instagram this week, Bayley threw out an offer to WWE NXT Superstar Cora Jade who is currently out of action with an ACL injury.
Cora Jade joined WWE in 2021. She has previously competed under the name Elyanna Black and has made appearances for TNA Wrestling (IMPACT Wrestling) at the time, as well as AEW.
Cora Jade’s efforts in the ring haven’t gone unnoticed by one of WWE’s veteran performers…
Damage CTRL’s Bayley has set her sights on the WWE Women’s World Championship and hopes to capture the gold at WrestleMania 40.
On this week’s SmackDown, Bayley sat on commentary for the Women’s Tag Team Championship bout between champions Katana Chance & Kayden Carter and challengers Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn. During her time behind the table, Bayley dubbed herself the ‘Mami-Slayer’ and vowed to win the Women’s Royal Rumble.
Given that IYO SKY is the WWE Women’s Champion, Bayley made it clear she plans to challenge Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania. To add insult to injury, Bayley wore one of Ripley’s shirts for the show.
Bayley and Rhea Ripley have shared the ring as opponents a total of four times. To date, their only singles match took place on the March 20, 2023, edition of Raw, and saw Ripley get the win. Their first encounter would be a triple-threat on the December 5, 2022, Raw alongside Asuka that Bayley would win. They have also competed in the 2021 and 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble matches, the latter of which Ripley would win.
Another Challenger
Bayley isn’t the only Superstar with her sights set on The Judgment Day’s resident Mami. On Raw this week, Becky Lynch confronted Rhea Ripley and made it clear she plans to win the Women’s Rumble and challenge the Eradicator. Ripley, who had previously warned the roster not to waste their Rumble win by challenging her, said she is rooting for Lynch to win the match.
The 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble Match
Bayley was the first Superstar to be declared for the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. She is joined by Nia Jax and former Rumble winners Becky Lynch (2019 winner) and Bianca Belair (2021 winner.)
Bayley plans on winning the Women’s Royal Rumble match, unless…
Mercedes Mone and WWE were speaking during a time, but that came to a financial roadblock. Now, all indications point toward an AEW debut very soon. Still, Bayley still believes her story with The Boss will last forever.
Bayley Believes She Will Face Mercedes Mone Again
Bayley, who once admitted that she begs Mercedes Mone to make a WWE return at every chance she has, recently spoke about her old friend, the former Sasha Banks. As Bayley sees it, there is still story left to be written for the two.
While speaking with Sports Illustrated, Bayley admitted that it is their destiny to face each other again. She firmly stated that their story has the ability to live on forever in pro wrestling lore.
“We’ll always be destined for one more match. We’re going to live on forever because of that match, and it’s something we can carry on forever.”
What Happened To Sasha Banks’ WWE Return
WWE and Mercedes Mone were talking about a return, but then those negotiations hit a roadblock. Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select at the time that, although the dialogue was friendly, the process was ended as WWE walked away from the deal.
Top free agent Mercedes Mone aka Sasha Banks and WWE had been engaged in conversations to possibly bring her back to the company. However, WWE sources stated to Fightful Friday night that the two sides are no longer in active negotiations regarding a return. The two sides had recently been engaged in conversations about a return. We’re told the dialogue was friendly, the back and forth failed to progress, and WWE sources claim that their side walked as a result of it.
There may be a spot open for Mercedes on the Damage CTRL roster, because that stable apparently can’t get enough members. All signs point toward Mone’s eventual AEW debut, so a WWE return may have to wait.
Bayley was as shocked as the WWE Universe to see CM Punk return to WWE, as her friend/mentor AJ Lee gave no hints leading up to the show.
Punk made his shocking return to WWE in the closing moments of Survivor Series: WarGames 2023, which took place in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, IL. The event marked Punk’s first time appearing in front of a WWE crowd since walking out of the company following the 2014 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The show also marked Punk’s first appearance at a wrestling event following his firing from AEW in September.
Bayley on CM Punk’s Return
WWE went to great measures to keep CM Punk’s return to WWE under wraps. In a recent interview with the New York Post, Bayley recalled her reaction and the atmosphere backstage.
“Someone has it on film somewhere, I’m watching the monitor and his music hit, I frick’n went crazy. I’m like, no way did they actually do this. I ran into Gorilla [position] to go say hi to him and he was so happy.”
The Damage CTRL member admitted that she was extra surprised as she keeps in contact with Punk’s wife AJ Lee, who had kept mum on the return of her husband.
“I didn’t text her [before]. Everybody reads online, but I was like there’s no way. This is crazy… And I was like, wait, no, it’s not gonna happen. He would have said something. She would have said something.”
Bayley on AJ Lee Returning
With CM Punk a WWE Superstar again, fans are buzzing over the possibility of AJ Lee returning to the ring. In the interview, Bayley shared her own excitement that the former Divas Champion could lace up her boots again.
“He gives me the best hugs. He’s like, ‘This one’s from me. This one’s from April.’ It’s nice to have him there but it makes me want her around. So I’m like, ‘Hey what’s up? What are you doing? Are you gonna hang out with us?’ ‘Sorry, I’m watching [our dog] Larry’”
Eager to secure herself a singles match at WrestleMania 40, former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley was the first to declare herself for the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble. And while the event is still nearly two weeks away, Bayley has made it clear that if she wins the Women’s Royal Rumble match, she plans to challenge WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley.
Praise For Ripley
Speaking with The New York Post, Bayley shared praise for Ripley’s journey through WWE, which has resulted in her now being the most talked about woman on WWE programming.
“If I’m able to work with [Rhea] at WrestleMania, that would just be a dream match I never even thought of before,” Bayley said. “She is obviously untouchable. She is the most talked about woman on TV right now and she backs it up. She doesn’t just have the look. She doesn’t just have the body. She doesn’t just have – besides Damage CTRL – a badass group to align with. She’s so good and it makes me so mad. ‘I’m like why are you so good, you are so young.’ I can’t even throw a drop kick and she can do one over my head. Just little things that she does that she’s able to do and portray on TV is very hard to do and she does it with ease.”
Excluding past Royal Rumble matches, “The Role Model” and “The Eradicator” have only shared a ring on three other occasions. After teaming together in the 2022 Women’s WarGames match, Ripley and Bayley found themselves in opposite corners during a triple threat match to determine the number one contender to the WWE RAW Women’s Championship — a match that saw Bayley emerge victorious. The two later met again in March 2023 for a singles affair on RAW, in which Ripley picked up the win.
Should Bayley and Ripley face off at WrestleMania 40, it will mark only their second singles match.
“She carried that title on her back proudly,” Bayley said. “I’m gonna have to take it off of her and it will be an honor to do. It will be an honor, Rhea.”
Trinity Fatu battled Jordynne Grace at TNA Wrestling’s Hard to Kill event. The pro wrestling world was watching, and she had two very special friends who were also there to see her big match.
Mercedes Mone & Bayley Spotted At TNA Wrestling Hard To Kill
TNA Wrestling hosted their Hard to Kill event on pay-per-view. The event featured noteworthy moments, such as Trinity Fatu’s potential final match in the company.
It was previously reported that the current thought is that Naomi will make her return to WWE. So, Fatu lost her Knockouts Title to Jordynne Grace, marking her 3rd reign with the title.
During Hard to Kill, Mercedes Mone and Bayley were seen behind the French announce team’s table, witnessing the matchup between Trinity and Jordynne Grace. They were not shown on screen during the actual pay-per-view event.
Both Bayley and Money were decked out in shades, and beanies, but they were still spotted. It was obvious who they were, but the two stayed off the radar, because they were not there to be a focus.
As of right now, Mercedes Mone appears to be heading to AEW, but she has not debuted for the company yet. It was reported that talks with WWE stalled, because they were far apart with money.
Even if Mercedes Mone and Bayley end up in different wrestling companies, they are still very close. Their presence at Hard to Kill also proves that Naomi has their support.
one thing about Bayley , Trin & Mercedes they gonna show up to support each other pic.twitter.com/wN5Dn1pbRt
WWE Superstar Bayley may be a founding member of Damage CTRL, but the Role Model is eager for a singles match at WrestleMania 40.
WrestleMania 40 will take place from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA on April 6, and April 7, 2024. The show will be WWE’s fifth two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bayley Wants WrestleMania 40
With WrestleMania 40 still months away, no matches have been confirmed for the show. Plans for WrestleMania 40 will be much clearer after the Royal Rumble PLE set to take place this month. Speaking to Cageside Seats, Bayley shared her excitement about the upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble match and hopes that a win will be the launching point for her first singles match at WWE’s biggest annual event.
“Everybody knows that when you win the Royal Rumble, you get to point at the sign and the fireworks go off. That’s the stuff you dream about. I’m excited to feel that. I wanna feel that and I wanna get that singles match at WrestleMania.”
While Bayley has competed several times at the Showcase of the Immortals, she has yet to have a singles match at WrestleMania. Instead, she has competed in battle royals, six-pack challenges, tag-team matches and won a four-way in 2017 to retain the Raw Women’s Championship.
Bayley Reacts to Triple H
Bayley’s lengthy tenure in WWE (in addition to her exemplary work during the pandemic) has resulted in plenty of praise for the Role Model. During the post-Fastlane press conference, WWE COO Triple H called Bayley the all-star of the Women’s Division, and someone who doesn’t always get the credit she deserves. In the interview, Bayley reflected on the Game’s comment.
“I hope he really meant it. It’s all over Twitter, so he can never take it back (chuckles)… to hear [Triple H] say that makes me feel like we’re like right there, because everything he said [at Fastlane] is everything I’m trying to be and more.”
Bayley has plans to win the Women’s Royal Rumble match, unless…
SmackDown Superstar Bayley has her sights set on winning her first Women’s Royal Rumble match unless a certain former Superstar makes a return.
The 2024 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event will take place on January 27, from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The show will be the 37th annual Royal Rumble event and the seventh to feature both a Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble match.
Bayley Hoping For a Return
The Royal Rumble match is synonymous with surprise entrants and Bayley hopes this year’s match is no different. While speaking on Gabby AF, Bayley was asked about who she’d like to see in the Women’s Rumble.
“Whoever wants to do a surprise entrance, just get ready to get thrown out by me. Mickie James is always awesome, I would love to see her again. Her music hits hard.
“Trish and Lita are always so fun to get those reactions, although they were just around not too long ago, still a good reaction.”
While Bayley would be fine throwing out Mickie, Trish, or Lita, a returning AJ Lee could prove to be too much for the Damage CTRL member.
“In an interview I just had, they brought up AJ Lee since CM Punk is here. I wouldn’t mind that.
I might actually let her throw me over the top rope if she came back. That’s how much I respect her.”
The 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble Match
Bayley was the first Superstar to be declared for the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. She is joined by Nia Jax and former Rumble winners Becky Lynch (2019 winner) and Bianca Belair (2021 winner.)
Some surprise entrants won’t entirely be a surprise…
Despite Bayley’s support, the 49ers would lose to the Rams in a close-fought game which ended with the Rams winning 21-20.
George Kittle and Wrestling
Kittle will be thrilled to have received this title given that he is a known fan of WWE. Earlier in the 2023 season, he wore an Edge shirt ahead of a Monday Night Football game. Kittle also appeared at WrestleMania 39 and would help Pat McAfee defeat The Miz.
Speaking to Rich Eisen after his appearance, Kittle said that he’s been hoping for something with WWE for some time and was pleased to help out “one of the boys.” Kittle admitted that appearing at WrestleMania was the second-most anxiety-inducing experience of his life, only being beaten by singing with Kelly Clarkson.
Kittle added that he was worried about clotheslining The Miz, and was encouraged to hit harder than he thought was needed. Sure enough, Kittle decked the two-time WWE Grand Slam Champion and would help get the Miz back in the ring.
Posted January 8th, 2024 in News, WWE. Tagged: Bayley.
Bayley has stood apart from the rest of the women’s roster after tarting out in NXT. She gained popularity for her authentic and relatable character, hugging fans everywhere she went. She morphed her character in to a heel years later, after forging a spot for herself on the WWE main roster, and she hasn’t looked back. Now, she will be with WWE for years to come.
After moving to the WWE main roster, Bayley continued to thrive, evolving her character and maintaining a strong connection with the audience. She achieved the historic accomplishment of becoming the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion alongside Sasha Banks.
Mercedes Mone and Bayley are still great friends, after traveling the world with each other. Given Bayley’s recent tease on social media, and the fact that she begs Sasha Banks to return all the time, she may just work with her friend again soon.
Given Bayley’s recent contract renewal, and Mercedes Mone’s current situation, those could be interesting ingredients to the formula which could result in The Boss’ return.
What’s Next For Bayley In WWE
Bayley’s current run in Damage CTRL elevated her to a new level. That faction is still going strong, as they captivate fans about the plan for their next steps. Now, it appears that Bayley will be around for the long-haul to see that angle through.
WWE has several contracts running up in 2024 for top Superstars including Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre, and Sheamus. Bayley’s contract situation is now locked in, and she’s not leaving WWE.
Billie Starkz has extra motivation heading into ROH Final Battle tonight.
Starkz is set for the biggest match in her career to date as she’ll be challenging the longstanding ROH Women’s Champion Athena for her title in the main event of the PLE. Now Starkz is getting support from all over, including WWE.
Billie left an impression on one major WWE star and that’s Bayley, who is clearly keeping tabs of her work in ROH. In light of Starkz’s main event fight this evening, On X, Bayley shared a photo of Billie as a kid giving her a hug at a WWE event and sharing the emoji caption of a magic wand and a crystal ball.
(WWE)
Obviously, this was not lost Starkz who acknowledged the support from one of the wrestlers who clearly influenced her and her career.
It’s been over two decades since the WWE Universe was introduced to John Cena on the June 27, 2002, episode of SmackDown. This week, Cena looked back at his debut match against Kurt Angle and poked fun at the unfortunate ring attire he wore for his first match on TV.
Randy Orton is back in WWE and is ready to take out every member of the Bloodline. The Viper will have the chance to do just tonight on SmackDown when he teams with LA Knight to face Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa.
Last week, WWE filed trademarks for a series of new names and now some have been appointed to NXT talent. PW Insider reports that Andrzej Hughes-Murray, a former LA Rams linebacker, will now compete as Dion Lennox. Kevin Robertson, a former Temple University defensive tackle will now be working as Kanu Carver.
Latest on WWE NXT Europe
WWE announced NXT Europe in 2022, but despite initial hopes for the brand to be up and running in 2023, that hasn’t been the case at all. Speaking on the pre-NXT Deadline media call, Shawn Michaels said that WWE remains committed to NXT Europe. WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative pointed at upcoming shows in Europe such as Bash in Berlin and WWE Backlash: France as a sign WWE has big plans for the continent.
A Women’s Royal Rumble Favorite
Next month, WWE will host its seventh-annual Women’s Royal Rumble match, with the winner earning a title shot at WrestleMania 40. In odds shared by Sky Bet, Bayley is the favorite to win next month’s match with 10/11 odds. Behind the Role Model is Jade Cargill (2/1), Becky Lynch (10/1), Raquel Rodriguez (10/1), and Charlotte Flair (12/1.) WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY and WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley share 16/1 odds.
Former SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley plans to use Trish Stratus’ kindness against her at WrestleMania.
‘The Role Model’ recently recalled an emotional story about Stratus mentoring her at a difficult period in her career. Stratus opened up to her, which may turn out to be a big mistake.
Stratus has served as a mentor of sorts to several of today’s top female competitors including Bayley and Sasha Banks (now Mercedes Moné in NJPW). Bayley and Banks were the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions after winning the titles in 2019. However, defending the titles belts at WrestleMania 35, they lost to the IIconics in a Fatal 4-Way match.
There were reports that the Boss-N-Hug Connection were extremely upset following their loss, but Stratus was there to inspire them and help turn the setback into a learning experience.
Bayley recalled the emotional incident
Over the weekend, Bayley tweeted about Trish consoling her and Sasha Banks after their WrestleMania 35 loss. During this discussion, Stratus opened up about her own ups and downs, as well as her insecurities and weaknesses. Little did she know that she’d be standing across the ring from Bayley four years later.
“We sat in the hallway of our hotel after losing the tag team titles at Wrestlemania. You talked to us til 4am sharing your secrets of the business, your personal life, your strengths and your weaknesses………….I remember #WrestleMania” Bayley tweeted.
The Hall of Famer responded to the tweet and stated that at least the Damage CTRL leader already knows how it feels to lose at WrestleMania and will be able to “CTRL” (control) her tears better this time.
“Yah I remember. Well, at least you already know what if feels to lose at #WrestleMania… maybe you can CTRL [control] your tears better this year,” Stratus wrote.
Yah I remember. Well, at least you already know what if feels to lose at #WrestleMania… maybe you can CTRL your tears better this year. https://t.co/Okuc9XtYlu
Damage CTRL’s Bayley will achieve a lifelong dream when she faces Lita at WrestleMania 39, and this is a match the Role Model has been preparing for decades.
On this week’s Raw, a six-woman tag-team match was made official for WrestleMania 39, pitting new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Lita and Becky Lynch, as well as Trish Stratus, against Damage CTRL.
During an edition of the Broken Skull Sessions, Bayley named Lita as her dream opponent from any era of wrestling.
Studying
Before becoming the heel Role Model we know today, Bayley was WWE’s premiere Super-Fan, and this wasn’t just her character.
A lifelong WWE fan, Bayley grew up watching Lita, and (according to the former SmackDown Women’s Champion) knows her weaknesses.
Taking to Twitter, Bayley shared an essay she wrote in her youth, showing that she has been studying the WWE Hall of Famer for decades.
