The dream team of WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Becky Lynch and Lita, and Trish Stratus, are looking to shut Damage CTRL up for good at WrestleMania 39.
Last month, Lita made her return to WWE to aid Lynch in a steel cage match against Bayley, which had originally been scheduled for the Raw is XXX event.
On last week’s Raw, Lynch and Lita dethroned Dakota Kai and IYO SKY to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, the first title for Lita since 2006.
While Bayley tried to interfere in that match, the returning Trish Stratus (who had been scheduled for the previous week’s Raw but didn’t appear) neutralized the Role Model.
WrestleMania 39
On this week’s Raw, the new champions and Stratus celebrated the victory but were quickly interrupted by Damage CTRL
Stratus then challenged Damage CTRL to a six-woman-tag team match and made it clear that she wanted to shut Bayley up once and for all.
Bayley accepted the challenge on behalf of her team.
The WrestleMania match will mark Stratus’ first match since SummerSlam 2019, when she lost to Charlotte Flair in Canada.
Surprisingly, this will mark the second in-ring WrestleMania appearance for Lita, after she challenged for the WWF Women’s Championship at WrestleMania X8.
Double-Booked?
The announcement of Lynch, Lita and Stratus against Damage CTRL at WrestleMania is an interesting one, given that this isn’t the match many expected.
It has been reported that WWE’s plan initially was for Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at the two-night event in April.
Despite Rousey aggravating an injury (which is why she was in a sling on last Friday’s SmackDown,) she is expected to be fully healed in time for WrestleMania.
There is the possibility that the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions could compete on both nights, a feat Tamina Snuka and Natalya achieved at WrestleMania 37 in 2021.
WWE is on the road to WrestleMania, and some of the top matches have already been confirmed, while other bouts are still not official. According to a new report, fans should expect a few twists and turns along the way.
On this week’s WWE Raw, Lita and Becky Lynch beat Damage CTRL’s Dakota Kai and IYO Sky to win the Women’s Tag Team Championships with the help of Trish Stratus, who took out Bayley at ringside.
The company has been planning for Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler to get a shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania.
Twists and Turns
Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE is planning twists and turns for the titles.
“The only thing we know is that the women’s tag title situation with the six women involved, as well as Bayley and Trish Stratus, has several twists and turns yet to come before the matches are finalized.”
It’s still unclear whether Sky and Kai will win the titles back or where the storyline is going, but “Rousey & Baszler were to face whoever ends up as the tag team champions in a few weeks.”
Rousey has publicly talked about wanting to dominate the Women’s Tag Team Division as of late.
Posted March 3rd, 2023 in WWE, News. Tagged: Bayley.
If it were up to Bayley, there would be even more members of Damage CTRL right now.
Since aligning at SummerSlam 2022, the trio of Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY have established themselves as major players in the women’s locker room. Kai and SKY have dominated the women’s tag team division with two title reigns, while Bayley has tackled multiple singles stars, including Becky Lynch and RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. As it turns out, though, Bayley — the leader of the group — wanted some additional figures to join her in the formation of the faction.
In a new interview with BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani, Bayley revealed that she pitched the group concept “a couple years” before it finally panned out.
“[The idea] had a different group of people as the time went on,” she said. “Peyton Royce was someone that I really wanted in there. Tegan Nox was someone that I wanted in there. There were a lot of people that it just kind of changed throughout time and as people left the company and things like that, but Dakota was always — she’s one of the OG’s that I always envisioned in this group.”
Planting The Seeds
(WWE)
Bayley later explained that she brought the idea up to Paul “Triple H” Levesque a few WrestleMania’s ago, but after receiving feedback, she made some tweaks. And after trading “a million” different name ideas with creative, “The Role Model” said they couldn’t get on the same page. One of the stable names she pitched was called “The Now.”
“To me, I didn’t care about the championships I won in the past, I don’t care about what happens next, these girls right here and what we’re about to do, the present is all that matters. So, ‘The Now’ was my first idea.”
Due to legal matters, however, that name didn’t work out, but eventually, they landed on Damage CTRL. “To me, Damage CTRL is just kind of showing the world how much more there is to offer than what you just see on TV every week,” Bayley said.
Bayley will go through anything to make her presence felt at WrestleMania 39, after missing out on a match at the previous two events.
The Damage CTRL member took to Twitter this week to make her promise and reminded fans of her recent bad luck with WWE’s biggest show of the year.
I haven’t competed in the last two Wrestlemanias. Last year, I had no control of due to injury. But I will never forget the feeling of not having a match on WM 37, and I will never let that happen again. I’m going to Hollywood one way or another!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/gRyamrsOcn
On this week’s Raw, Bayley faced Becky Lynch and Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair in a match with potential WrestleMania stakes.
Had either Lynch or Bayley won, they would have been added to tomorrow night’s Elimination Chamber match, in which the winner will face Belair for the title at WrestleMania.
Unfortunately for Lynch and Bayley, it was the EST who emerged victorious on Raw.
Bayley-Mania
Bayley hasn’t competed at the last two WrestleManias, though last year’s event WrestleMania 38 wasn’t down to WWE’s creative plans.
In July 2021, days before the return of live fans, Bayley suffered a serious ACL injury that led to her being out of action for over a year.
For WrestleMania 37, Bayley was simply not booked for a match, which angered fans who appreciated what she had done during the crowd-less Pandemic era.
Instead, Bayley was used for a few skits involving The Bella Twins, Hulk Hogan, and Titus O’Neil.
What’s Next for Bayley?
With the Role Model being blocked from entering the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, any bout for Bayley at WrestleMania is unlikely to be for a championship.
Earlier this month, WWE Hall of Famer Lita appeared on Raw to cost Bayley her steel cage match with Lynch, seemingly setting up a feud between them.
While it had been rumored that Elimination Chamber 2023 would see Damage CTRL face Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus, no match has been announced, but could be saved for WrestleMania.
With that said, it has been reported that WWE is planning for Dakota Kai and IYO SKY to defend the WWE Women’s Tag Titles at WrestleMania against Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.
Two WWE Superstars are to be referred to as some of the “all-time greats” in an edict from WWE’s Head of Creative and Head of Talent Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque.
The Game entered both roles in July 2022, replacing his father-in-law Vince McMahon in Creative, and WWE veteran John Lauriniatis in the Talent Relations department.
Triple H’s work thus far has been widely praised by fans, who have appreciated the rehiring of big names and talent being given more opportunities to showcase their characters.
All-Time Greats
WWE’s current roster is home to legends in the making, but two names have already reached the status of being ‘all-time greats.’
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that Becky Lynch and Bayley will be referred to by the monikers going forward.
The Man and the Role Model have been feuding ever since the Raw after Summerslam 2022, when Damage CTRL attacked Lynch.
Returning to in-ring competition at Survivor Series: WarGames, the pair have continued feuding for months.
After Bayley and Damage CTRL once again got the upper hand at Raw is 30, Lynch bested her nemesis in a Steel Cage match this week, with an assist by the returning Lita.
Great Careers
Though some may find the label as ‘all-time great’ a tad premature for talent still wrestling today, Bayley and Lynch have some impressive claims to the moniker.
Lynch is a six-time Women’s Champion (two Raw, four SmackDown,) the winner of the 2019 Women’s Rumble match, and won the first-ever Women’s main event at WrestleMania.
Bayley is a four-time Women’s Champion (one Raw, one NXT, two SmackDown,) a two-time WWE Women’s Tag Champion, a Miss Money in the Bank winner, and was the first-ever WWE Women’s Triple Crown winner and WWE Women’s Grand Slam.
Bayley had been scheduled to work a steel cage match with Backy Lynch on this week’s WWE Raw 30 show, but the bout didn’t take place. An angle was booked instead, where Bayley, Dakota Kai, & IYO SKY attacked Lynch and laid her out before the bout started.
It was reported that the Trial of Sami Zayn segment went long, which led to the rest of the card being trimmed. Unfortunately for the ladies, their cage bout was impacted the most. The decision was made to do the angle instead of booking a short match.
“The outcome of it? Yeah, I felt good. I honestly think it put our story in a whole different place. I think it did a lot for Damage CTRL. So I’m super happy with it,” Bayley stated.
Bayley noted she wasn’t bummed at all because the match got cut. However, she did see the fan backlash.
“I did, which is cool. They have our backs and stuff, but I don’t want them to think that women’s wrestling is moving backward or that we’re not seen in the same light of Roman Reigns or anybody like that. We are very appreciated backstage, we’re treated super well, and we are a part of big conversations when it comes to big stories, big matches, big pay-per-views, and big premium live events. We’re in conversations with that. I don’t want the fans to get the wrong idea about what happened, and it was just what happened. We’re going to make the best of it, and they’re going to see how it made everything so much bigger and better.”
Fans were left extremely disappointed with this week’s Steel Cage match on Monday Night Raw, which did not go as planned.
The match, pitting Damage CTRL’s Bayley against Becky Lynch, had been promoted all week long, and had been as one of the main attractions for Raw’s 30th-anniversary episode.
Instead of a match, Lynch was attacked by WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions IYO SKY and Dakota Kai during her entrance and thrown into the ring.
Locking the cage door, the SKY, Kai, and Bayley beat down on Lynch, and left only after Adam Pearce had broken the lock on the cage door.
Original Plans
The Steel Cage match WWE had planned had to be scrapped due to segments earlier in the episode going long.
It has been reported that the Trial of Sami Zayn that opened up this week’s Raw went much longer than expected.
PW Insider reports that the plan for the cage match was for Lynch to win, and then be attacked post-match by Damage CTRL.
There has been no confirmation yet as to whether this match will be used in full down the line.
Backlash
WWE felt it was the right call to scrap the Steel Cage match, as the alternative was having the actual match go for approximately two minutes.
However, the decision to scrap the match has led to backlash by fans, who have called into question WWE’s treatment of their women for the Raw is 30 event.
WWE loaded up the Raw 30 anniversary show on Monday night with several big matches and legends.
One of the matches promoted for the show was a Steel Cage match between Bayley and Becky Lynch. WWE had a lot more planned, but the company had to call an audible, according to a new report.
The Original Plan
Fightful Select reports that the entrances and the match were scheduled for two segments. Instead, they had to cut things short because of the opening segment with The Bloodline running long.
The Trial of Sami Zayn opened the show with Roman Reigns telling Zayn that he would have to pass his final test this Saturday at the Royal Rumble when “The Tribal Chief” defended his Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Kevin Owens.
The report also noted that several segments had to be trimmed, but the most affected thing on Raw was Bayley vs. Lynch.
As noted, WWE nixed a Bloodline Acknowledgement Ceremony on this show because Afa and Sika weren’t ready to make the trip, and Rikishi was sick, so WWE nixed the entire segment.
Bayley’s post received well-wishes by both fans and those in wrestling, including Lance Storm and reigning IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI.
Bayley and Damage CTRL have been feuding with Becky Lynch in recent weeks, with the Role Model getting a win over the Man on the December 19, Raw.
This week, Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY and Dakota Kai defeated Lynch and Mia ‘Michin’ Yim.
Bayley So Far
Signing with WWE ten years ago, Bayley’s career in the company actually began under a mask, as her in-ring debut saw her compete as Luchadora at an NXT live event.
It was in June 2013 that Bayley would adopt her doe-eyed fan-girl character which would make her one of the most popular babyfaces in recent years.
After multiple attempts, Bayley won the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in August 2015, and would retain at NXT TakeOver: Respect that October.
After losing the title to Asuka, Bayley would be called up to Raw in 2016 and won the Raw Women’s Championship in early 2017.
After a run as one-half of the first WWE Women’s Tag Champions, Bayley would capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship in 2019, and would turn heel that September, marking her first run in WWE as a heel.
After a lengthy reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion, Bayley’s reign would end in October 2020, and an injury in July 2021 would keep her out of action until her return last year’s Summerslam.
Karl Anderson and Mercedes Mone (aka Sasha Banks) may have made their presence felt at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom, but they weren’t the only WWE names at the event.
Anderson, who returned to WWE in October of last year, lost the NJPW Never Openweight Champion to Tama Tonga, kicking off the latter’s second reign.
Mone, who was quietly released from WWE in June 2022, debuted as Mercedes Mone and confronted IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI after her successful title defense.
The former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion was suspended for her actions, which were deemed “unprofessional” on TV.
Boss ‘n Hug
Banks’ former tag-team partner Bayley will be at Wrestle Kingdom to support her friend, PW Insider has learned.
The report did not specify whether the Damage CTRL member was sent by WWE, but notes that she “shouldn’t be expected to be seen on camera.”
Bayley isn’t the only support Banks will have, as reports have come out that Naomi, who walked out of WWE with her in May, is also in Tokyo for the show.
Naomi’s status with WWE remains unclear and there has been no confirmation as to whether she has been released.
Bayley has been feuding with Becky Lynch since The Man’s in-ring return at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames, and appeared on this week’s Monday Night Raw.
Banks in New Japan
Sasha Banks’ impending arrival in New Japan Pro Wrestling is a huge score for the company as they seek to grow their own women’s division.
It is believed that Banks will confront the winner of the IWGP Women’s Championship match between KAIRI (aka Kairi Sane) and her challenger Tam Nakano.
Banks’ contract is said to be for five matches a year with New Japan, and she is set to make more per appearance for the promotion than she did during her tenure with WWE.
Bayley squared off against Alexa Bliss this past Monday on RAW in a #1 contender’s match. During the match, Alexa Bliss went for a Hurricanrana but it didn’t go well and both superstars crashed to the canvas in an awkward fashion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yrCG78NdGU
The Role Model spoke about the incident during a recent Instagram Live and explained how the move went wrong.
I was taking a move from the girl [Bliss] I was wrestling, and it just kind of got wonky. It got wonky to the point where I lost my footing, and we both landed on our heads. We weren’t knocked out or anything, but we were like, ‘ oh that sucked and didn’t look good.’
We just tried to get back on the same page, but we didn’t know where we were going. We were so flustered by it – she and I literally went for the same move, which made us collide heads again.
I just had to give her a clothesline and just had to stop. I just said, ‘alright, let’s just stop and slow down a little bit.’
Bianca Belair on Alexa Bliss Almost Attacking Her on RAW
Alexa Bliss won the #1 contenders match after Becky Lynch attacked Damage CTRL ringside. Becky battled with IYO SKY and Dakota Kai through the crowd and it distracted Bayley. Alexa capitalized and hit Twisted Bliss for the pinfall victory.
RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair congratulated Alexa after the match but Bliss almost hit her with Sister Abigail out of nowhere before stopping herself.
Bianca was interviewed after RAW and stated that she was reminded that Alexa Bliss is still a competitor and that she won’t be caught off guard again.
She showed me a side of her that… I have no words for it.
I’m still trying to figure out what that was, is this what is going to be, is this a phase?
We’ll have to see. But at the end of the day, we are competitors. So once we step into the ring there are no friends and I have to remember that.
Next time we step in the ring, I have to show her that I’m the EST of WWE, and we are going to compete, but that is not going to happen again.
Dakota Kai made her shocking return to WWE at Summerslam 2022 as part of Damage CTRl, but plans for the group were originally much different.
Damage CTRL, consisting of Kai, IYO SKY, and Bayley, debuted at the July 30 event, in Bayley’s first appearance on WWE TV in over a year.
Since debuting, the group has captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships twice and Bayley has challenged for the Raw Women’s Championship.
Original Plans
Bayley had planned on a stable for years, but the Role Model’s plans were only realized earlier this year.
Appearing on the Getting Over podcast, Kai explained how the original line-up for the group had many different members.
“When she [Bayley first mentioned it to me a couple of years…it was myself, Candice LeRae and Tegan [Nox.] Those were the ones that were from the start. And obviously things that happened from then until now, everything changes.”
Dakota Kai.
Kai later explained how a more recent roster for Damage CTRL included herself, SKY, Alba Fyre, and Raquel Rodriguez.
The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion said that this group would have been “epic” but she is equally pleased to team with Bayley and SKY.
What’s Next for Damage CTRL?
After the group’s debut, Bayley set her sights on Bianca Belair, but failed to dethrone the Raw Women’s Champion.
At Survivor Series: WarGames, Team Damage lost to Team Bianca, seemingly marking the end of the feud.
On this week’s Raw, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai brawled with Becky Lynch, starting the group’s newest feud.
Lynch returned to WWE after four months away as the fifth member of Team Bianca and scored the pinfall for her team inside WarGames.
Nikki Cross may be aligned with Damage CTRL, but the group isn’t ready to welcome her as a member just yet.
Cross returned to WWE programming on the October 24, 2022 Raw, reverting to the unhinged persona she had used in NXT.
The former Raw Women’s Champion has ditched her Superhero character and the Nikki A.S.H. name.
Damage CTRL
Despite attacking Bayley during her return, Cross has been on the same side as the Role Model and Damage CTRL since then.
At WWE Crown Jewel, Cross interfered to help Dakota Kai and IYO SKY recapture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships from Alexa Bliss and Asuka.
Fightful Select reports that on WWE’s internal listings before this week’s Raw, Cross was not listed as a member of the stable.
On this week’s Raw, IYO SKY defeated Dana Brooke, while Bayley, Kai, and Cross were ringside, though Cross did not seem interested in what was going on in the ring.
WarGames
Cross is not an official member of the Damage CTRL stable, but she will soon be entering WarGames with Bayley, Kai, and SKY.
On Raw, it was confirmed that Rhea Ripley will be joining the four for WWE’s upcoming Premium Live Event.
The group will face Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim, and one final teammate yet to be named.
While it is believed that Candice LeRae will be the final member of the group, that has yet to be confirmed on TV.
New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka and Alexa Bliss won’t have long to savor their win, as the titles will be up for grabs at this Saturday’s Crown Jewel.
Bliss and Asuka won the titles during this week’s Raw, in what was Asuka’s first televised match in close to two months.
This marks both women’s third reign as Tag Champions (albeit with different partners) and the third partner for Asuka, who previously held gold with KAIRI and Charlotte Flair.
The Rematch
Just five days after winning the titles, Asuka and Bliss will put the Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line against Damage CTRL.
Bliss and Asuka will face former Champions Dakota Kai and IYO SKY, who had a 49-day reign before it was ended this week.
On Twitter, Damage CTRL’s Bayley added that she will “stop at nothing” to make things right for the group.
Bayley will also compete at Crown Jewel, where she will face Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair for the gold in a Last Woman Standing match.
Crown Jewel 2022 will mark the first time Asuka, SKY, and Kai have competed at a Saudi Arabia event.
Crown Jewel 2022
In addition to these two title matches, WWE Crown Jewel will see Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defend against Logan Paul.
The O.C. will be in action against the Judgment Day while Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley will have their long-awaited rematch from January.
Drew McIntyre will face Karrion Kross inside a Steel Cage, as the Scottish Warrior seeks to finally defeat his nemesis.
The Usos will put the Undisputed WWE Tag Titles on the line against the Brawling Brutes while Braun Strowman will have a meeting of the giants with Omos.
She returned at this year’s SummerSlam premium live event alongside Dakota Kai and IYO SKY. The trio has become known as Damage CTRL in the company. Dakota and IYO are the current Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Bayley battled Bianca in a Ladder Match at Extreme Rules but came up short and The EST retained the RAW Women’s Championship. The two clashed once again on this past Monday’s edition of RAW in a non-title match.
Nikki Cross is no longer almost a superhero and interfered in the match. Bayley capitalized on the interference and pinned the champion. Nikki then attacked Bayley after the match as well.
WWE announced last night during SmackDown that the two rivals will battle once again on November 5th at Crown Jewel. Bianca Belair will put the RAW Women’s Championship on the line against Bayley in a Last Woman Standing match at the premium live event in Saudi Arabia.
WWE Crown Jewel 2022 Preview
Ahead of the big title match, Bayley took to Twitter to deliver a message to the RAW Women’s Champion. The Role Model be the last woman standing at Crown Jewel. The 33-year-old noted they are continuing to grow the roles of a woman in Saudi Arabia in her post.
In a time and place where we are ever growing the roles of a woman, I will be the last one standing vs @BiancaBelairWWE. #WWECrownJewel
Is WWE prepared to add another singles championship to its women’s division? Bayley certainly hopes so.
In the Men’s division, each brand has a mid-card championship, the United States title (Raw,) the Intercontinental title (SmackDown,) or the North American Championship (NXT.)
In AEW, the company has a Women’s World Championship (and currently an Interim Women’s World Champion) but also has the AEW TBS title held by Jade Cargill.
WWE does not have a mid-card title for their women’s division, only the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships and the Women’s Tag Team titles.
Mid-Card Championship
Bayley has had reigns as the Raw, SmackDown, and NXT Women’s Championships, and is a multi-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, the Role Model said it wouldn’t hurt WWE to introduce a mid-card title for their women’s division.
“I mean, it wouldn’t hurt. It would be nice to have another title. I think it’s just gonna take time. When we wanted those Women’s Tag Team titles, it took a long time and it took someone actually fighting for them.
“So if that’s what we want, someone has to stand up for it and really fight for it and prove that it’s going to be a benefit for the division.”
WWE introduced their Women’s Tag Team Titles in early 2019 which fans, and Bayley herself, had been calling on for some time.
Bayley and Sasha Banks would become the first Women’s Tag Team Champions, winning a tag-team Elimination Chamber match.
Rallying Support
Bayley is hopeful to see WWE introduce a women’s mid-card title, but she’s not the only one.
Renee Paquette, formerly known in WWE as Renee Young, recently signed with All Elite Wrestling.
She appeared several times during this week’s episode of Dynamite. Renee was set to interview Saraya, formerly known as Paige, when Britt Baker interrupted.
Britt and Saraya traded words until Renee shut them both up. Paquette said that they were going to do this properly if they wanted to talk about it and Britt stormed away.
Saraya debuted in All Elite Wrestling last month at Dynamite: Grand Slam. Toni Storm defeated Britt Baker, Athena, and Serena Deeb to retain the AEW Interim Women’s Championship. After the match, the heels attacked and Britt set up for the Lockjaw on Storm. Saraya’s music hit and Britt retreated with Jamie Hayter, Rebel, and Serena Deeb.
Bayley is currently involved in a bitter rivalry with RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. The Role Model battled her for the title in a Ladder match at Extreme Rules but came up short. Bayley defeated The EST in the main event of RAW. A repackaged WWE Superstar interfered in the match and it led to Bayley picking up the victory.
After Renee Paquette put an end to the bickering between Saraya and Britt Baker on Dynamite, Saraya took to Twitter and claimed that she loves “spicy” Renee.
Bayley responded and said that Renee was in “a bit of a pickle”. Saraya then joked that she needed some “damage control”. Bayley is currently the leader of the Damage CTRL faction with Women’s Tag Team Champions IYO SKY & Dakota Kai.
It appears that Nikki A.S.H. is no more and Nikki Cross is back in WWE.
Bayley squared off against Bianca Belair in the main event of tonight’s episode of WWE RAW. The EST defeated The Role Model in a Ladder match to retain the RAW Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules and tonight’s bout was a non-title match.
Women’s Tag Team Champions Dakota Kai and IYO SKY were ringside for the match to root on the leader of Damage CTRL. Bayley knocked the RAW Women’s Champion out of the ring and distracted the referee as Dakota and IYO beat Bianca down.
A mystery woman then flew off of the top turnbuckle and leveled the referee, Kai, and SKY with a Crossbody. Back in the ring, Belair connected with the KOD but there was no referee for the cover.
Nikki Cross then got into the ring and planted Belair with a Fisherman’s Neckbreaker. Bayley capitalized on the attack and covered Belair for the pinfall victory. After the bell, Nikki Cross attacked Bayley and stood tall in the ring as the crowd booed to close the show.
When was the last time Nikki was on WWE TV?
Nikki A.S.H. teased a character change on September 26th following her loss to Candice LeRae on RAW. She was scheduled to battle her former tag team partner, Doudrop, but Candice was revealed as a surprise opponent. Candice picked up the victory in her debut match on the main roster and Nikki took off her mask in frustration after the match.
She won the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match last year and cashed in on Charlotte Flair to win the RAW Women’s Championship. Nikki has also been in tag teams with Alexa Bliss and Rhea Ripley on the main roster. She debuted on the November 6, 2018, episode of SmackDown against Becky Lynch. The former NXT faction SAniTY accompanied her to the entrance ramp.
Bianca Belair and Bayley have been involved in a rivalry in WWE since last year.
Bayley was training for her match against Bianca Belair at Money in the Bank 2021 when she tore her ACL. The Role Model returned at SummerSlam alongside IYO SKY and Dakota Kai. The trio is now known to WWE fans as Damage CTRL.
Dakota and IYO recently captured the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Bayley battled Bianca in a Ladder match at Extreme Rules but The EST was able to retain the RAW Women’s Championship. Their rivalry continues tonight on RAW in a non-title match.
Bayley & Bianca Belair Trade Words Ahead of Tonight’s Match on WWE RAW
The RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair and Bayley are set to battle tonight once again in a singles match. Bayley has not defeated Bianca in a singles match since 2020. The Role Model did get the pin on The Est during the 6-woman tag team match at Clash at the Castle last month.
Bayley posted on Instagram that tonight is the beginning of the end for the RAW Women’s Champion.
TONIGHT We’ve been through a lot together in these last couple of years and it’s been a journey. It’s been fun, annoying, tiresome, distracting, motivating, and some more annoying.
I’ve watched you grow from this young hopeful into a main eventer in what seemed almost over night.
But I know that wasn’t easy, because the lifestyle of a pro wrestler is far from easy. I’ve seen how dedicated you are to this company, I’ve seen you go out of your way for fans.
I’ve seen you not go home for weeks just to make the shows, I’ve seen you all over the country making appearances to make sure @wwe is represented the right way.
And for that, I thank you. But just know that all of those things are the EXACT reason I need to beat you tonight.
Nobody loves this company or business more than I do and I should be the one waving that WWE flag around the world, not you!!! This sh*t runs through my blood and I guarantee you have no idea what that feels like or how it fuels me.
So tonight when I beat you Bianca, it is the beginning of the end for you. #raw
Belair took to Twitter and wondered if it was actually going to be a singles match or if Damage CTRL were going to interfere once again.
Soooo… is it Me vs. 1 of them?… or all 3 of them?… this time. Asking for a friend…
Soooo… is it Me vs. 1 of them?… or all 3 of them?… this time🤔
Dakota Kai returned to WWE at SummerSlam alongside Bayley and IYO SKY. The group became known as Damage CTRL and has already become a key part of the RAW roster.
Kai was released in April but made her return after WWE had undergone massive changes at the top of the company. Vince McMahon resigned in late July and his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan took over as the new co-CEOs.
Triple H replaced John Laurinaitis as the EVP of Talent Relations and was recently given the title of Chief Content Officer. Since gaining power in the company, The Game has brought back several released talents and Dakota Kai was one of them.
Dakota Kai On Triple H Reaching Out To HerFor WWE Return
Dakota Kai joined Ryan Satin on the latest edition of the Out of Character podcast. During the interview, Kai revealed that Bayley pitched the idea to Triple H for Damage CTRL and The Game was in favor of it.
It was very strange because obviously, I wasn’t taking bookings, I was just chilling and doing my streaming thing. Bayley texted me on Thursday just out of the blue, we talk a lot but this question was out of the blue.
She was like ‘hey out of curiosity, are you like talking to anyone right now in terms of companies?’. I said ‘well, kind of, why do you ask?’.
She said that she in a last-ditch attempt for this idea that she had of a group, she said she texted Hunter and kind of gave it like one last push.
I guess I didn’t know if that would be a thing that he would look to contact me about. But sure enough, she texted him about the idea we had. We had filmed a bunch of videos and took some photos, and she sent him the idea.
His first thought response after that was ‘what is Dakota doing?’.
Dakota added that she was dumbfounded that Triple H wanted her to return as she had never viewed herself as a top star in the company.
I was dumbfounded because I never look at myself as like ‘the guy’. I’ve always been, my role within the company has always been to help elevate, you know, or as someone to just tell a story. I’ve never considered myself a top guy.
So the fact that I was on his mind in terms of that idea and the fact that I was like the first he called back after he had gotten control of the company. I was shocked.
Bayley returned to WWE at SummerSlam after spending a year away with a torn ACL. She arrived with IYO SKY & Dakota Kai in a group now known as Damage CTRL.
The Role Model confronted Bianca Belair but Becky Lynch surprisingly stood by The EST’s side after losing her RAW Women’s Championship match against her. Damage CTRL retreated but has since gotten the better of Bianca on numerous occasions. Bayley pinned Bianca in a 6-woman tag team match at Clash at the Castle to pick up the win for Damage CTRL at the PLE earlier this month.
On this past Monday’s edition of RAW, Damage CTRL beat Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, and Asuka down to close the show. Bianca Belair will defend the RAW Women’s Championship against Bayley in a Ladder Match this Saturday night at WWE Extreme Rules.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan recently was a guest on Cageside Seats’ Bleav in Pro Wrestling show. The 28-year-old was asked if there was somebody that she watched while they were on top that had an influence on her and the champion answered Bayley.
Before her turn (heel), I think Bayley. She is someone that I’ve had my entire WWE journey with. She was the locker room leader when I started in NXT. She always wants what is best for like, the betterment of the Women’s Division and women’s wrestling in general.
It’s not just about her, or her being on top, or her looking fantastic. It’s about who you are in there with and everyone else.
Host Rick Ucchino noted that Bayley is now associated with IYO SKY and Dakota Kai in Damage CTRL and The Role Model has helped elevate them in the group. IYO and Dakota recently captured the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Liv noted that Bayley wants her partners to shine just as much as she does, even when she’s portraying a heel.
She wants her partners to shine. She wants to establish her partners, even when she’s being a bad guy. She’s still low-key honorable.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Bleav in Pro Wrestling and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Former WWE NXT Women’s Champion Bayley has teased potentially returning to the NXT brand.
Currently, Bayley is involved in the RAW Women’s Title picture over on Monday Nights, but she appears to have some interest in making a return to NXT soon after this week’s episode.
During a Grayson Waller Effect segment involving Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez, it was announced that the pair will pick the other’s opponents over the next two weeks.
The guidelines for the ordeal indicated that ‘the entire WWE roster is fair game.’ Perez and Jade are slated to face off at the NXT Halloween Havoc pay-per-view (PPV) on October 22.
With the possibility of one of these ladies facing off against a main roster star looming, Bayley took to Twitter to seemingly throw her name in the hat.
It’s not unusual for main roster stars to appear on NXT; with several having done so already this year such as AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, Natalya, and Dolph Ziggler.
On this week’s show, Butch & Ridge Holland of the Brawling Brutes made an appearance, wrestling NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly. Holland and Butch were defeated thanks to some interference from Imperium.
Bayley
As for Bayley, her last appearance on WWE NXT was back in June of 2020 when she and Sasha Banks defended the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles against Shotzi & Tegan Nox.
Posted October 5th, 2022 in WWE, News. Tagged: Bayley.
Bayley has achieved a lot of things in her ten years long WWE career. While there are still things she wants to do in the company, the bigger goal for her is to leave the place better than when she started.
The former champion recently spoke to The Five Count podcast. When asked which star from the past she would be interested in wrestling, she took the name of Lita:
“Yeah, I guess I would say Lita because she was my childhood hero. I feel like that would just be the cherry on top for my story of my career.”
– Bayley
‘Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day’: Bayley
The leader of Damage CTRL then discussed her goals in wrestling. She mentioned how winning the Royal Rumble and main eventing WrestleMania are on her list. Ultimately though, it’s all about leaving the women’s division in good hands:
“There’s still a lot. There’s a lot of women in NXT that I would love to tell some stories with but I still haven’t main evented WrestleMania. I feel like that’s a big deal to everybody especially because it’s been done a couple times now in the Women’s Division. I would love to do that or just have a singles title match at WrestleMania.
[I] would love to win the Royal Rumble, but those are just little things. I think the bigger picture is just to leave the division in good hands. That’s what Damage CTRL is all about. I wrote on a post that Rome wasn’t built in a day. So I know it’s gonna be a little bit so I can feel satisfied.”
Bayley has named three WWE Hall of Famers that her group Damage CTRL would like to face one day inside the squared circle.
The Role Model returned to WWE at SummerSlam alongside Dakota Kai and IYO SKY. The group of heels have become known as Damage CTRL. On Monday’s edition of RAW, Dakota and IYO captured the Women’s Tag Team Championships from Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez. Bayley defeated Raquel on this past Friday’s edition of SmackDown.
Damage CTRL defeated RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss at Clash at the Castle. Bayley pinned the champion to win the match and appears to be in line for a shot at The EST’s title.
Bayley recently was interviewed on Casual Conversations and revealed three WWE Hall of Famers that she would like to battle with Damage CTRL.
“Lita, Trish [Stratus], and Beth Phoenix. Get them out of here. This is our place. Don’t come back,” said Bayley. [13:22 – 13:32]
Trish Stratus recently confronted Bayley and Damage CTRL during a recent WWE Live Event in Canada.
Bayley on how “Macho Man” Randy Savage Drew Her to Wrestling
During the interview, Bayley discussed how “Macho Man” caught her attention and started her interest in wrestling. The 33-year-old stated that he was the first person that drew her into wrestling and noted the way he carried himself as the reason. She claimed that nothing in wrestling had caught her eye like Macho Man did up until that point.
“He was the first person that drew me to wrestling. It was the way he looked, the way he carried himself, and his charisma. I literally just saw him walk down the aisle in one of his outfits and I was like ‘oooh what is that?’ Nothing in wrestling until that point caught my eye like Macho Man did.” [13:49 – 14:06]
You can check out the entire interview in the video below.
