There was a time within the not-too-distant previous when Bayley seemed like WWE’s subsequent nice babyface.
Developing in NXT together with her inflatable buddies and signature ponytail, the friendlier half of The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection made waves in 2019 when she turned heel in a significant approach, chopping off her signature coiffure earlier than taking an ax deal with to her inflatable mates to show she meant enterprise.
Discussing the state of affairs with Cody Rhodes on his new What Do You Wanna Discuss About podcast, Bayley revealed why it was her thought to show heel when she did and the way it set her up for an unimaginable skilled wrestling profession.
“Sure, I used to be extra so nervous as a result of I believed, what if it did not work? However, I used to be additionally in that spot the place that character, the fan favourite bubbly child face wasn’t working both. So it was sort of like I used to be at a crossroads of, if I by no means do this then i will by no means know. I at all times, as a fan, wished to do the whole lot . I wanna be man, I wanna be a nasty man, I wanna be in a love story, I wanna do the craziest issues trigger I would like all of that have. I used to be a little bit nervous once I first began as a result of I believed I’d get a number of feminine Cena feedback, which is the most effective praise I may ever get in that character, however I additionally was like, I wanna attempt various things,” Bayley instructed Cody Rhodes by way of Fightful.
“So, turning to a nasty man was my determination as a result of I felt that I used to be going nowhere and the truth that they really wished to go along with it, it was good timing. I lower my hair off and needed to go in to see if it was okay. They lower off my entire gimmick, and by chance, they permitted of it and favored it. I simply suppose that’s actually once I imply, I had a lot enjoyable with that character however having the ability to embrace myself and my very own persona in an actual approach — and I at all times attempt to join who I actually am with my character, and it simply felt like I used to be rising as an individual inside. Having the ability to share that with the viewers, it simply felt like the appropriate time, and it was scary, however I feel that is what made it good.”
Wouldn’t it have been attention-grabbing to see how babyface Bayley would have fared long-term on the primary roster as an alternative of chopping the experiment quick in favor of her heel flip? Positive factor, followers actually like Bayley’s present babyface run, and who is aware of, possibly there nonetheless would have been a Injury CTRL and all of her different profession highlights, however from a optimistic perspective. Nonetheless, contemplating Bayley is a darn good heel, all of it turned out okay ultimately, as nobody goes to accuse the WWE Lady’s Champion of getting an underwhelming important roster run.
Bayley displays on her relationship with John Cena in WWE
Whereas Bayley did not wish to change into the subsequent John Cena within the WWE Universe, that does not imply she would not have severe admiration and appreciation for the real article, even when he, at occasions, could be laborious to see.
Discussing what it has been wish to work with Cena throughout her WWE profession in an interview with USA Weekly, Bayley put “The Face That Runs the Place” over for his willingness to assist out youthful expertise, together with his recommendation serving to to form the “Function Mannequin” followers see at this time.
“I mentioned, ‘John, if there’s something you suppose is lacking from the ladies’s division or something particular you suppose I ought to work on, what ought to it’s?’ It become this hour-long dialog, and all of it got here right down to storytelling. What is the story we’re attempting to inform tonight? Do not take into consideration what they need, what he desires, what you need. It is all about storytelling,” Bayley defined by way of Fightful. “He desires to offer again in a approach that not everyone does. He has such distinctive data that he can share. It brings us again to why we received into it. Having him round to have conversations has been actually nice.”
Although Bayley and Cena have by no means truly shared the ring collectively for a combined tag match, they’ve shared locker rooms, busses, planes, and venues everywhere in the world collectively for skilled and publicity functions. If Bayley was in a position to make use of that point to study from probably the greatest to ever do it, properly, then she did it proper, as together with his retirement tour set to come back to an finish in December of 2025, there’s solely a lot time left for anybody to sit down at his studying tree.
