2025 has not been kind to Bayley. At Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII, she lost to Sol Ruca in one of three main roster vs. developmental showcases in the undercard of John Cena’s retirement match.
While the match was a fantastic showcase of old vs. new, it may also have marked a new low for the once-esteemed “Role Model”. What is worse is that it is just not an isolated incident.
Bayley has an undeniable legacy in WWE. As one of NXT’s Four Horsewomen, she revolutionized women’s wrestling in the promotion in the days of short, meaningless matches on the main roster. Her NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn match against Sasha Banks in particular stands out as one of the greatest of all time. She was the first female Grand Slam champion, and her 380-day second reign is tied with Rhea Ripley for the longest in the SmackDown Women’s/Women’s World Championship’s history.
Still, there was one factor that held Bayley back from being a transcendent talent: character. Charlotte Flair was the daughter of wrestling royalty, Banks carried swag like no one else could, and Becky Lynch became a charismatic personality. Meanwhile, “The Hugger” was a darling among NXT’s “smark” crowd but could never get over on the gritter main roster.
Thus, Bayley cut her hair, killed her inflatable tube men, and became a heel. It worked wonders for over four years, but by 2024 she was running out of reason to be a heel. The rest of her stable Damage CTRL was overshadowing her, so she bailed upon winning the Royal Rumble match.
That title reign turned out to be rather underwhelming. Uninteresting defenses against unremarkable opponents marked her reign., before Nia Jax mercifully ended it.
This would lead to 2025.
Bayley’s alliance with Lyra Valkyria is one of the more compelling experiments WWE has done this outgoing. The Irishwoman is undeniably one of the best in-ring workers in the promotion, but she had often lacked the infectious personality that has defined the “Role Model”.
Their initial partnership in the first quarter of the year looked promising, but then a night before their WrestleMania match, Bayley was found attacked backstage. Lynch eventually revealed herself as the assailant during her heel turn, but once again it represented wasted opportunity, as Bayley put it on The Undertaker’s “Six Feet Under” podcast:
“It’s a test. I feel like every time I get thrown stuff, I’m just being tested. Not by the company; the universe and the world is trying to test me. I felt weird about it, but throughout the time we had a few matches, like damn, we have good chemistry!”.
Win or lose, Bayley and Valkyria would have had an interesting dynamic. The veteran coaching the rookie, then them two coming to blows when the time came. Maybe that angle would have even involved the Women’s Intercontinental title, which Bayley has unsuccessfully fought for. Instead, they are meandering once again as partners with no concrete end in sight.
Realistically speaking, Bayley is not going anywhere, at least not in the short term. She signed an extension in 2023, and while her body of work since then has been less than excellent, she continues to prove herself a great mentor.
With her best friend Mercedes Mone (the former Banks) thriving in AEW, however, maybe she starts thinking that the grass is greener on the other side.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
