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The audience is eagerly awaiting the return of Bayley. The former WWE Women's Champion is one of the most decorated wrestlers on the roster, and she's only just reaching her prime. She's the first women's Triple Crown Champion and Grand Slam winner in WWE history.
Bayley went down with an injury last year, but may return at any time. Once she does return to WWE programming, there is no indication as to what she may do.
One possibility is that she will go after the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. The titles are currently vacant and all eyes are on an upcoming tournament for the gold.
Could Bayley be a part of that competition? If so, who could her partner be? There's a wealth of options across WWE, but some are more likely than others.
Here are 5 potential WWE tag team partners for Bayley:
#5. Io Shirai could join the main roster as Bayley's partner
While Bayley has plenty of talent on the main roster she can compete with and against, there are also many athletes in NXT and NXT UK who are on the rise. One name who is very much ready for RAW or SmackDown is former NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai.
Io has been temporarily sidelined with an injury, but the talented star is ready for the big-time whenever she's healed up. What better way to debut on the main roster than in a pairing with one of the most successful female superstars in WWE history?
The two are phenomenal in-ring talents and the Triple Crown Champion is capable of talking for both of them. They could easily win the straps if paired together.
#4. BayMella reuniting would give both superstars something to do
BayMella is the name given to the duo of Carmella and Bayley. The two have rarely been presented as allies on-screen, but their friendship has been acknowledged briefly at points.
Even then, that acknowledgement was primarily highlighted on programs like WWE Breaking Ground as opposed to RAW or SmackDown.
However, they have real-life chemistry and that means there's a high chance their chemistry could translate on-screen. If Bayley were to join the red brand, Carmella would be the perfect partner.
Both are former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions who also had solo success. Plus, both are despised heels, so their alignments won't contrast.
#3. Xia Li could be the former SmackDown Women's Champion's partner and muscle
Bayley is a manipulative mastermind. With her intelligence, she might very well choose a partner who can take care of a lot of the physical action while the former SmackDown Women's Champion can focus on strategy. There aren't many better picks to be her muscle than Xia Li.
What Li may lack in height, she makes up for in physicality. The muscular star trains extensively in mixed martial arts. Her strikes make her dangerous. Xia's biggest weakness from a kayfabe perspective would be her lack of experience, and that would be something Bayley could take advantage of.
Xia Li came in saying she hated vultures, but she may end up aligning with one.
#2. The returning star could help elevate Shotzi
Shotzi is somewhat lost in the shuffle on SmackDown right now. The ballsy WWE Superstar is still finding her footing on the main roster, but she has all of the qualities needed to be a success. She can talk, she can wrestle, and she has a standout look.
A team with the returning Bayley could be what jumpstarts Shotzi's career. The pair would bring a ruthlessness that no other team currently has. Bayley has shown how vicious she can be despite her cocky and occasionally goofy personality. Shotzi no doubt can bring the pain too.
The potential team could be the next WWE Women's Tag Team Champions if presented currently. Plus, once their friendship fizzles out, a feud between the two could be outstanding.
#1. The Boss & Hug Connection could reform
While there are many potential first-time pairings, Bayley's most well-known partner is and likely will forever be The Boss. The duo were known to be best friends for ages, dating back to their time in NXT together.
Eventually, the popular unit became the first ever WWE Women's Tag Team Champions and held the titles on more than one occasion.
However, there are a few things preventing the duo from being reunited. Sasha Banks is currently indefinitely suspended by WWE and it remains unclear as to when or if she will return to television.
Plus, before the suspension, Sasha was in a team with Naomi. There's another potential hangup when factoring in the former best friends feuding on television when they were last seen together. That's a lot of issues working against The Boss & Hug Connection reuniting.
Still, anything can happen in WWE. Friends can turn to bitter enemies and engage in vicious, personal feuds. Yet with enough time or with the right opposition, those same friends-turned-enemies can patch things up. We've seen it before with the likes of D-X and The Shield. There's no guarantee it won't happen with Banks and her long-time best friend as well.
It is still unclear when and how Bayley will return to WWE television. One thing is certain, though, is that when she does make her presence known, everybody will be talking about the former SmackDown Women's Champion.
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