Bayley has opened up about the emotional rollercoaster of being removed from a marquee match at WrestleMania 41 earlier this year. The “Role Model” was originally scheduled to team with Lyra Valkyria to challenge Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on night two of the event.
However, storyline developments saw her attacked and taken out of the match just one day prior, leading to Becky Lynch replacing her. Lynch and Valkyria went on to win the titles, while Bayley remained off television until her return in June.
Speaking on the Six Feet Under with The Undertaker podcast, Bayley described the experience as a personal challenge. “That was interesting. 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 world is just trying to test me,” she said. She admitted the situation was “rough” and “bittersweet,” particularly because she had grown close to Valkyria in real life and was excited for her partner’s first WrestleMania moment.
Bayley revealed that she initially had reservations about the storyline when it was first pitched. She recalled telling Valkyria, “Don’t you think that’s strange? You’re the Intercontinental Champion, and we don’t even know each other.” However, their in-ring work quickly dispelled those doubts.
Bayley pointed to a specific tag team gauntlet match as the turning point where she realized their potential. “It was like an hour of wrestling, and I was like, ‘Holy shit. We’re a good team.’ I felt genuinely connected with her.”
When the decision was made to pull her from the match, Bayley confessed she was “bummed” not only about missing the event but also about the effort wasted in building the team’s credibility. “Two, we put all this work in, and I really tried to make us look like a team so that it was believable,” she explained. She noted that she leaned on peers for support during that time, mentioning she had a “long conversation with (CM) Punk about it” and that many others reached out because “everybody has been in these positions.”
Despite the disappointment, Bayley emphasized that her love for wrestling is what keeps her going. While she can appreciate moments like Valkyria’s victory or the success of her peers like Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, and IYO SKY, she believes holding onto some anger is necessary for her drive.
“I need to have that piece of me that is pissed about it. ‘I got a lot more work to do it.’ I love that and need to have that,” she concluded.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Six Feet Under with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can watch the podcast on YouTube or listen on major streaming platforms.
