WWE superstar and former SmackDown women’s champion Bayley was the latest guest on the After The Bell podcast to discuss a number of different topics, including how her heel character got stronger without fans and how her bit of going after Michael Cole became the online phenomenon it did. Highlights are below.
How her character actually benefitted from not having fans:
I was having trouble trying to make fans believe that this is me now. I was Bayley with a ponytail and hugger for so long that it was hard for them to see me as a different character. They had a weird not reacting, don’t believe it (reaction). When we got to the [Performance Center], I thought it was going to be a one-night thing and the more we did it without fans, I was like, ‘You know, I don’t have to worry about them, I can just play off my opponent, my tag partner [Sasha Banks], what else can I do?’ I could be loud and hear an echo in the PC and I thought it was hilarious.
On her ongoing bit going after Michael Cole:
Now that I realize I can hear Graves and Cole on commentary, I’m like, ‘If I can hear them, the fans can hear them.’ Now, our only fan interaction is through the internet and they thought it was funny, so the more I did it, the more I had fun with it and that’s what helped me find what kind of annoying bad guy I wanted to be and that’s who I am, personally. With my friends, I’m the annoying person who pushes too many buttons and goes too far. Every opponent added a different layer to me.
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)