As Bayley embraced her dark side, the final remnants of her innocence were torn to shreds.
Warning: The following story contains video and graphic descriptions of violence that some may find disturbing or unsettling. Reader discretion is advised.
With a leap from the independent wrestling scene to the grand stage of WWE in 2012, Bayley’s journey to the top of women’s wrestling had been a whirlwind of passion and perseverance. Her debut in NXT revealed a unique persona — a wide-eyed dreamer aspiring to inspire as a role model for all. Fans quickly embraced the celebrated hugger, showering her with chants and affection, singing, “Hey, Bayley, will you be my girl?”
Her transition to WWE’s main roster in 2016 seemed destined for continued success. However, following a cringe-worthy “This is Your Life” segment in 2017 with Alexa Bliss and a lackluster match at Extreme Rules, where Bayley failed to get extreme, her star momentarily dimmed.
Still, Bayley persisted, and in 2019, she captured the Money in the Bank briefcase. In a stunning turn of events, she cashed it in on the same night to claim the SmackDown Women’s Championship from Charlotte Flair. The triumph marked not only her resurgence but a declaration that Bayley was here to stay, to inspire and elevate the SmackDown women’s division.
As the summer progressed, Bayley’s in-ring style became increasingly aggressive. Despite her continued cheerful demeanor, her behavior grew snarky. She later stunned the wrestling world as she brazenly allied with Sasha Banks, orchestrating a brutal assault on Becky Lynch. Yet, amidst the controversies, Bayley clung to her facade of positivity, though audiences began to see through her.
Then came her downfall.
At the Hell in a Cell spectacular that October, the pillars of Bayley’s 140-day reign crumbled at the hands of her nemesis, Charlotte Flair. The defeat sent Bayley on an emotional spiral that gave birth to a new look and a resentful attitude seen five days later on SmackDown.
As Bayley prepared to reclaim her title from Flair, she made her customary grand entrance, complete with her trademark Bayley Buddies. Amidst the swaying, cheerful, inflatable tubemen, her demeanor shifted. With a grim expression that cast a dark shadow over the arena, Bayley pulled back the hood of her jacket to reveal a shorter, darker hairstyle.
What ensued would be etched in history as one of the most horrific acts ever witnessed on WWE programming.
From behind one of the tubemen, Bayley produced an axe and, one by one, took swings at each of her inflatable companions. With each vicious slice, the vibrant forms of Bayley’s wacky air dancers were gutted, their colorful bodies collapsing on the stage with a sharp hiss, lying in a crumpled, lifeless heap.
Bayley’s destruction of her air buddies was more than a stark and brutal demise to their inflated glory; it symbolized her complete severance from her fan base that marked the end of innocence for everyone’s favorite hugger. After regaining her title from Flair moments later, Bayley addressed the WWE Universe without remorse, bluntly stating, “Screw all of you.”
With that, Huggamania was dead.
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