UPDATE: A new report from PWInsider Elite claims Bayley is expected to remain with WWE, with creative pitches already being made for her return to RAW.
A separate report from False Finish also claims sources within WWE believe Bayley has already re-signed and will have a larger role with the company moving forward.
That would obviously change the outlook considerably — especially considering the speculation surrounding Bayley’s WWE contract and her potential AEW future in recent weeks. However, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Bayley is expected to remain with WWE.
Similar reports surfaced at the beginning of August, only for more conflicting information to emerge afterward.
But the story surrounding Bayley’s WWE status has been anything but straightforward.
Why Is Bayley’s WWE Future Such A Mystery?
Bayley’s recent WWE booking certainly hasn’t helped quiet the speculation.
After winning the 2024 Royal Rumble, Bayley went on to become WWE Women’s Champion. But her booking has been inconsistent since then. Her loss to Lyra Valkyria at July’s Saturday Night’s Main Event, followed by the post-match beatdown, only added fuel to the idea that WWE could be preparing to move on from her.
At the time, it looked like the kind of angle that could be used to put over a younger star while writing a veteran out of the picture.
Then came the contract reports.
In August, reports citing Dave Meltzer stated that Bayley was expected to remain off WWE programming unless she agreed to a new deal. Bryan Alvarez also reported that he had heard her contract did not expire until January.
That conflicted with other reports claiming Bayley could become a free agent as early as October.
Then things became even more interesting.
The Mercedes Moné Connection
Bayley’s relationship with Mercedes Moné has naturally become part of the speculation.
A training video posted by Bayley alongside Mercedes drew attention after WrestleVotes Radio, via Fightful Select, reported that the post apparently did not land well with everyone within WWE.
Bayley was training with several people, including Mercedes, and the caption read “all or nothing, baby.” The song used was “All In” by The Grouch & Eligh. And of course, it just so happened to be posted right before AEW All In.
That could all be completely innocent.
Or it could be exactly the kind of thing that causes people to start connecting dots.
Then Mercedes made a comment during her AEW Women’s World Championship celebration that made those dots even more interesting.
Mercedes said:
“What I want for this division, what I want for this championship, doesn’t even exist yet.”
Mercedes Moné during the September 2, 2026, episode of AEW Dynamite.
Bayley subsequently retweeted a post of her own from 2019 containing the same phrase: “What I want doesn’t even exist yet.”
Is that evidence that Bayley is going to AEW? No. But when you’re trying to figure out what is actually happening behind the scenes, it’s certainly worth mentioning.
Why Wrestling Media May Be Wrong About Bayley
This is where I think it’s important to separate reporting from interpretation.
Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez have pointed out something that makes sense. WWE generally isn’t going to spend time referencing or building interest around someone they expect to lose to free agency.
And that’s a reasonable argument.
If WWE is discussing Bayley, building toward her return and already planning creative for her, it would make sense to assume the company expects her to stick around.
But I don’t think that makes it a guarantee. And we’ve actually seen a pretty good example of why.
A year ago, there was a very similar argument surrounding Karrion Kross. WWE was publicly promoting his book, and many used that as evidence they had plans to keep him around.
The same people now pointing to WWE’s treatment of Bayley as evidence that she has re-signed were making essentially the same argument about Kross.
I dive deeper into this in the video, including why I’m not completely buying the idea that Bayley has already re-signed with WWE on our YouTube channel:
UPDATE: Bayley Reportedly Expected To Remain With WWE
Since this video was originally published, the situation has changed again.
According to PWInsider Elite, Bayley is now expected to remain with WWE. Creative pitches are reportedly being made for her return to RAW. The report also states that she could be back on the road within the next few weeks.
That’s a significant development.
Even more interesting, False Finish reportedly conducted its own check and was told that people within WWE believe Bayley has already re-signed.
If those reports are accurate, the AEW speculation may ultimately amount to just that — speculation.
