Bayley Stuns IYO SKY To Grab Emotional Women’s Title Victory

Bayley is finally the Women’s Champion once again.

While Bayley took control in the initial skirmishes and even raised a smile as fans sang her name, it wasn’t long before the champion wrestled back the initiative. SKY smashed the challenger’s knee into the ring post, and from then on the tone was set.

IYO SKY methodically tried to wear down her rival’s knee, but Bayley found ways to keep coming back, willed on by her adoring public.

In a desperate bid to stay in the hunt, the challenger even pulled out a Bayley-to-Belly, but SKY quickly got back in the ascendency. But despite a stunning backbreaker and equally eye-catching Moonsault, the champion couldn’t get the pin.

The following exchange saw SKY deliver a mind-bending counter to the Rose Plant, only to be flattened by a huge Clothesline. With SKY on the back foot, the challenger delivered a Macho Man-style elbow and the Rose Plant to become Women’s Champion once again.

Bayley’s Long Road Back To The Top

It’s been a long way back to the top of WWE for Bayley, who hasn’t held a singles title since 2020. The star didn’t have a match at WrestleMania 38 and got injured while training just three months later.

The serious knee injury ended her feud with Bianca Belair and caused her to spend more than a year out of the ring.

Bayley returned at SummerSlam 2022, bringing out IYO SKY and Dakota Kai — the trio were later dubbed Damage CTRL.

While SKY and Kai won tag team gold, and the former won Money in the Bank and eventually the Women’s Title, singles success continued to elude Bayley. Even the additions of Asuka and Kairi Sane to the group couldn’t change her fortunes. In fact, the change would prove to be her downfall.

Bayley won the Women’s Royal Rumble match in January 2024 setting records in the process, but all was not well with Damage CTRL. When she later confronted Asuka, IYO SKY, and Kairi Sane asking why they had been talking about her, Asuka and Sane attacked, kicking her out of the group.

Dakota Kai initially teased that she would side with her mentor, but ended up turning on her former friend.