Bayley Is Making a Big Mistake if She Returns to WWE

Over a decade ago, women’s wrestling had a revolution in WWE thanks to stars like the Four Horsewomen. Made up of Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Bayley, the quartet became mainstays in wrestling’s biggest company for a decade. Over the years, they won countless titles and two of them even main evented WrestleMania. Today, all of them are still active and successful, but Bayley, in particular, has been badly booked and never quite reached the level of the others. Many thought this meant she’d leave WWE for AEW when her contract runs out. Instead, if reports are to be believed, she’s not going anywhere.

Bayley Has Showed Frustration With Her WWE Run

• Bayley is an all-time great and future WWE Hall of Famer.
• She has been held back by inconsistent booking, with her run often being halted and forgotten.
• She doesn’t know what else to do to get noticed by WWE creative.

Bayley is a phenomenal wrestler, an all-time great, and a for sure future WWE Hall of Famer. She works easily as both a babyface and heel, crafting an impressive resume which includes five world title runs, two tag team championships, a Money in the Bank win, and a Royal Rumble victory. Still, Bayley has so often felt like the odd woman out due to her inconsistent booking. One month, she’s booked as the most important star in the division, only to become insignificant and pushed to the side the next. Fans have never left her, but WWE often has.

The audience has expressed their frustration about Bayley’s time in WWE online, wondering why the company doesn’t value her as much as they should. It’s a criticism Bayley not only shares but feels. During an interview with Chris Van Vliet last year, during the height of another stale run, Bayley spoke about being disrespected by fans and underutilized by her employer.

“I don’t get on the press conference, I don’t get on the poster, I don’t, you know, get to do the talk shows, and I don’t know what else to do… What do I need to do to get me there?”

After an AEW Tease, It Looks Like Bayley Is Staying With WWE

• Bayley’s WWE contract expires in 2026.
• She teased jumping ship to AEW with an Instagram post that included a song called “All In.”
• Reports suggest that Bayley has re-signed with WWE and will return to Raw soon.

This summer, the news has been out there that Bayley’s WWE contract expires at the end of the year. It has left everyone wondering what she’ll do. Will Bayley finish her career in WWE, or will she jump ship to AEW and work alongside one of her best friends, Mercedes Mone? Not too long ago, Bayley was on the losing end of a feud with the now heel Lyra Valkyria, leading to speculation that this was her last WWE match.

Bayley knows what fans are thinking, and she’s choosing to have fun with it. Last month, she posted a video of herself on Instagram training in the ring with the caption “all or nothing, baby” and The Grouch & Eligh’s “All In” playing over it. Was Bayley openly letting fans know where she was going next or simply messing with us? Whatever it was, WWE apparently didn’t appreciate it. According to WrestleVotes on Fightful Select, the post “did not land well with everyone” and “was viewed by some backstage as ‘eyebrow raising’.”

Still, this did not mean the end of Bayley’s WWE career. If new reports are accurate, she might actually be staying. After PWInsider reported that Bayley was set to return to WWE Raw soon, False Finish followed up with:

“A source indicated to False Finish that those within WWE believe that Bayley has already re-signed and will be more involved with the company and not just as an on screen talent.”

Re-Signing With WWE Won’t Help Bayley’s Wrestling Career

• Staying in WWE will be more of the same for Bayley.
• What did WWE offer her that will have Bayley more involved with the company?
• A run in AEW would revitalize Bayley’s wrestling career.

If true, this is a bit of a stunner. All signs were pointing to a WWE exit for Bayley. If true, it’s also a bit disappointing. Bayley has done all she can do in WWE. The company has shown, time and again, that they do value her, but only so far. She hasn’t and won’t reach the level of others because it’s not allowed, not because she can’t. With Triple H and TKO, just as there was with Vince McMahon, Bayley has a ceiling she can’t break through. To continue to compete there for years to come will be more of the same, if not worse, as she gets older and is replaced by younger talent.

It makes you wonder what Bayley is being offered that will have her “more involved with the company and not just as an on screen talent.” Is Bayley set to work behind the scenes as a coach or member of creative? If so, great, but that’s an end of career goal. It’s not enough for now when Bayley’s in-ring journey still has so much to offer.

In AEW, the sky is the limit. Both a long-term feud and partnership with Mercedes Mone is right there. Bayley can also have a plethora of dream matches with the likes of Toni Storm, Thekla, Willow Nightingale, and so many others. An AEW run would revitalize her career, and she would most likely be appreciated by Tony Khan and given a run at the top. In WWE, we know what happens. Bayley comes back with a new push and is treated with the respect she deserves. A month or two later, though, she’s back to being underused and pushed aside for someone else. It’s the last thing the final years of her career needs.