Bayley was recently written off WWE television following a storyline attack by Becky Lynch. However, former WWE commentator Jonathan Coachman made it clear that he’s not eager for her return.
During a recent episode of the “Behind the Turnbuckle” podcast, Coachman dismissed discussion of Bayley’s possible comeback. He said,
“Oh my God! You can’t be serious. You cannot be serious. Why keep bringing up Bayley? That’s my question. Bayley is done. She’s washed up. She’s boring. She’s nothing. She’s nothing anymore. What does she bring to the table? If you dropped Bayley off the roster today, what would we lose?”
While he briefly acknowledged Bayley as a “sweet person,” Coachman doubled down on his criticism. He said,
“When I was in WWE for 13 years, there were certain people — she was one of them — you’d look at and wonder, ‘How is she winning the Royal Rumble?’ or ‘How is he doing that?’ I just don’t think she’s ever sold a ticket. Not for any rivalry she’s been part of.”
Bayley, however, boasts an impressive resume. She has held championships on RAW, SmackDown, and NXT, and is both a Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank winner — accomplishments that highlight her significant contributions to WWE over the years.
During a recent appearance on the “Busted Open Radio” podcast, Shotzi commented on her upcoming WWE release, whether she was surprised by it, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On how she feels about leaving WWE: “Honestly, I didn’t expect this but I feel so free and like this weight is lifted off me. I feel clarity and extremely motivated and excited for the future. I’m ready to get to work. I’ve been sitting at home for what feels like the last two years. I’m excited to get back at it.”
On the promo she posted last week: “It was definitely me being like, I can connect to an audience and I can talk. I never really got the opportunity to be on the mic, and that is something I always wanted to show. Honestly, promos are what got me into wrestling. The story side is what got me into wrestling. I never got to show that side of me. I wanted to put that out there and be like, ‘You guys can not re-sign me or you can get this.’ Either way, I would love an answer.”
On if WWE responded: “No. I got the call two days later. Legal called me. ‘Hey, we’ve got some bad news.’ ‘Okay, cool, later.’ It was a very short conversation. I think that got the ball rolling. During Mania, I was talking with Talent Relations, ‘Hey, my contract is up in a few months. Are we going to talk?’ They were like, ‘Yeah, we’ll hit you up soon.’ That promo was a reminder to hit me back up.”
Rhea Ripley has quickly become one of WWE’s biggest stars in recent years, thanks to high-profile matches and notable crossover moments — such as her appearance in Call of Duty — that have brought her into the mainstream spotlight.
In a recent interview with Wide World of Sports, Ripley reflected on her growing fame, admitting that it’s become increasingly overwhelming. She said,
“It’s definitely gotten a bit hectic. When WWE made the move to Netflix, there was a massive influx of fans — suddenly, a lot more people were watching. And then TikTok blew up. I didn’t even have an account, yet I kept trending. People would approach me in stores saying, ‘Oh my god, you’re the girl from TikTok,’ and I’d be like, ‘Am I?’ There’s been such a spike in the name Rhea Ripley.”
She added, “There’s always pressure when I come home because I want to make everyone proud. If you’re not nervous or stressed, you probably don’t love what you do. I get to do what I love and have worked so hard for — it’s amazing. Whether I’m main eventing or not, I just hope there’s strong Australian representation. Anything happening in Australia just makes me so bloody proud. We don’t know exactly where things will go from here, but I think it’s going to be absolutely incredible.”
