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Bayley is one of the most decorated superstars in WWE. In fact, she is one of the most successful female wrestlers of all time. She is the first-ever Women's Grand Slam Champion in WWE, having won gold on RAW, SmackDown, and NXT.
Up until SummerSlam, Bayley was the WWE Women's Champion. She won the prized title at WrestleMania 40. That night The Role Model defeated IYO SKY to capture the gold after earning the shot by winning the Women's Royal Rumble Match in January.
Unfortunately, Bayley hit a brick wall at SummerSlam when she went one-on-one with Nia Jax. While The Role Model potentially had the powerful Jax defeated, a distraction from Tiffany Stratton and the Money in the Bank briefcase allowed Nia to hit a series of moves to pick up the win.
It was shocking to see Bayley lose her title when it felt like her reign was only just getting started. Now, many fans are wondering what could be next for the talented star. In this article, we will look at a handful of things The Role Model could do following her heartbreaking defeat.
Below are four possible directions for Bayley following her heartbreaking loss at WWE SummerSlam.
#4. She could challenge Nia Jax for the WWE Women's Championship
Nia Jax has had quite the run since returning to WWE. Many fans were hesitant when it was announced she had returned, as Nia's last run in the company left many feeling underwhelmed.
To her credit, Nia has silenced most of her doubters. She is in the best shape of her career, has updated her moveset, and works harder than ever. Jax is regularly putting on bangers and while fans still detest her, there is a level of respect for the new champion.
With that being said, Bayley is unlikely to be done with Nia. The win was arguably thanks to interference from Tiffany Stratton, so she would be justified in trying to get a rematch. If The Buffed Barbie is kept away, could The Role Modle stop The Irresistible Force?
#3. Bayley could chase after tag team gold with Michin
Michin, also known as Mia Yim, is an underrated performer on WWE Friday Night SmackDown. Once a member of The O.C., Michin was away from television for quite a while. In 2024, however, her screen time has increased considerably as she has become a regular.
Bayley and Michin have formed a friendship on WWE Friday Night SmackDown. Despite the two having a bad history from when Bayley was in Damage CTRL, they managed to make up and have worked together to deal with Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton in the past.
Now that Bayley isn't a champion, Michin and The Role Model could decide to make their team permanent. From there, they could potentially challenge for the Women's Tag Team Titles. Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre could be in trouble if the pair chase their gold.
#2. She could form a new stable
Bayley created Damage CTRL. The WWE faction, which debuted at SummerSlam 2022, featured The Role Model, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY. While it would later grow to include Asuka and Kairi Sane, the original three caused a lot of mayhem in the company.
The Role Model left the stable earlier this year. While it led to her winning the WWE Women's Championship, Bayley may feel stuck now. Thankfully, she could simply reach back into her bag of tricks and form a new group.
For example, Bayley could unite with Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell to try to elevate both women. Somebody like Tegan Nox could also benefit by working with the veteran. If all four worked together, this new stable could become a dominant force just like Damage CTRL was.
#1. Bayley could reunite with Damage CTRL
Speaking of Damage CTRL, the split between Bayley and the WWE faction was ugly. Bayley turned babyface after the group talked about The Role Model behind her back and were otherwise ostracizing the talented performer.
In the time since then, Damage CTRL has moved to WWE Monday Night RAW. While they were heels at first, it appears Dakota Kai, IYO SKY, and Kairi Sane are now babyfaces, as they recently beat down Sonya Deville, Zoey Stark, and Shayna Baszler.
Now that Damage CTRL and Bayley are both babyfaces, a reunion could happen. Dakota Kai even recently posted a picture of Damage CTRL throughout the years, which obviously included Bayley. Could this be Kai's way of sending signals that she'd like to make up with the future Hall of Famer?
