Backstage Notes on Bayley’s WrestleMania Feud With Damage CTRL, Earlier Plans for the Feud

– Fightful Select has an update on the Bayley and Damage CTRL feud and how long the plans date for this weekend’s WrestleMania 40 title match between Bayley and Iyo Sky. According to the report, the split in Damage CTRL has been planned out for months, as far back as when Charlotte Flair previously returned to the ring in late 2022. While fans speculated in the past that Mercedes Mone might have returned to help Bayley in her feud, that was reportedly never the working plan by the WWE creative team.

Members of the WWE creative team initially had an idea for Charlotte Flair being the one to aid Bayley in her fight against Damage CTRL when it came time for the split and Bayley’s face turn. However, Charlotte Flair suffering a torn ACL injury put a stop to those plans.

Another source within WWE said that if Mercedes Mone signed with WWE and returned to the company after their previous talks, that might have changed creative plans for the feud. However, the working plan wasn’t to have Mone (aka Sasha Banks) involved, and talks with Mercedes Mone never got far enough along for the creative team to start developing creative pitches for the angle. Mone signed with AEW earlier this year, debuting last month at AEW Big Business.

Bayley challenges her former Damage CTRL teammate Iyo Sky on Sunday, April 7 at WrestleMania 40: Night 2. The event will be held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show will be broadcast live on Peaocck.