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Bayley will be squaring off against IYO SKY for the WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania XL. She earned the match by winning the 2024 Women's Royal Rumble Match in January.
The veteran was the leader of Damage CTRL but the group betrayed her earlier this year. Dakota Kai then returned from injury and also decided to turn her back on Bayley. The Role Model has the chance to get the ultimate revenge by defeating her former stablemate to become champion at WrestleMania XL.
WWE shared a video of the SmackDown star getting ready for her match against IYO SKY. The former leader of Damage CTRL sent a warning to SKY ahead of the contest.
"I feel like I am at a crossroads with my career right now of like if I don't [get] this done, I'm just going to be like 'Oh, she almost made it'. But if I am able to do this, this year is going to be what defines me. It has to start at WrestleMania, and I have to take it from IYO [SKY] because she is one of the girls that is trying to stop me from getting to the top," said Bayley. [02:42 - 03:11]
Bayley added that she has never quite made it to the top of the women's division and has to go through IYO SKY to reach the pinnacle and become WWE Women's Champion.
"I've never quite made it there, like I've been on every single show since I've returned. I've been on everything. I've had title matches, and I'm still in the conversation when it comes to women's wrestling, but I am not there yet and I have to go through IYO to prove that I think to myself, to the fans, to the back [backstage]. So to me, more than the title, it [is] just my legacy. This 'Mania is my legacy. It is the crossroads of like, can she do it or I'll just never get there," added Bayley. [03:12 - 03:46]
Bayley on being kicked out of Damage CTRL on WWE SmackDown
Bayley has opened up about Damage CTRL falling apart and revealed that she is disappointed in how things turned out.
In the video shared by WWE today, Bayley claimed she thought Damage CTRL was going to be like The Shield but it didn't work out that way. She added that the group was floundering for a bit after its debut. The Women's Royal Rumble winner noted that while the faction was still a success, she never expected to be kicked out of it.
"You know, in hindsight, I think it still came out a success the way I wanted it to because I wanted them to grow and become their own person, I was just the stepping stone. I knew that, and that was my goal. I'm just the stepping stone to get them out to RAW, SmackDown, SummerSlam, WrestleMania, and Royal Rumble, and they have done all of those things. But, I didn't think they were going to like kick me to the curb in the process, you know? It was supposed to be like a, 'I freed them. Alright, now go spread your wings'. That is kind of how I always thought it would be," said Bayley. [00:33 - 01:12]
Damage CTRL's Dakota Kai and The Kabuki Warriors will also be in action against Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair, and Naomi in a six-woman tag team match this weekend. It will be interesting to see who walks out of The Show of Shows as the reigning WWE Women's Champion.
If you use any of these quotes, please credit WWE with an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
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