Bayley continued to talk herself into the possibility of CM Punk actually returning to WWE at Survivor Series.
Certainly, if Punk's wife and good friend of hers, AJ Lee, had, she would have said something to her.
right?
“I didn't email her. [before]” said Bayley, who will compete in the women's Royal Rumble on January 27 (8 p.m., Peacock). “Everyone reads books online, but I thought there's no way I could do that. That's crazy. Then there was a moment where I wasn't allowed to walk a certain path. [backstage]. And I thought, wait, no, that's not going to happen. He would have said something. She would have said something. ”
When Punk's music hits the show-closing blockbuster at Allstate Arena on his return to WWE after nearly a decade, Bayley is as stunned as anyone and is the first to greet Punk as he returns through the curtain. I was the only one.
“Someone somewhere was filming it and I was looking at the monitor and his music hit and I was hooked. I don't think so. I encountered a gorilla. [position] I went to say hi to him and he was very happy. ”
Despite her long-standing friendship with Lee, she frequently interacted with Punk and never had the chance to seriously pick his brain about wrestling.
“At first I thought, 'Maybe he just likes me because she likes me and she doesn't like a lot of people.' It was great,” Bailey said of her friendship with Lee. He talked about his early days. “Sometimes we'll go out or we'll text and she'll say, 'Oh yeah, Phil said this or he said hi,' or he shows up when we're having coffee. Probably. I'm like, “Wow, that's amazing.” He thinks I'm cool. ”
Opportunities for Damage CTRL's leader and Punk to interact with Bayley on Friday Night SmackDown and Punk on Monday Night Raw may still be limited.
Still, once she learns he's in WWE, she wants to have Lee by her side.
“It's just crazy to have him backstage and watch him walk around,” Bailey said. “But he has the biggest smile. He looks so happy. He gives me the biggest hugs. He was like, 'This is from me.' This is from April. I'm glad he's there, but I start to wish she was there. And I'm like, “Hey, what's up?” what are you doing? Would you like to play with us? “Sorry, I'm watching.” [our dog] Larry”
A video of Lee training in the ring with Punk was released just before the new year, increasing fan anticipation for a possible return to the ring at the Royal Rumble or another round in WWE.
A neck injury ended Lee's career in 2015, but she has always ruled out the idea of a return.
Bayley had a short match with Lee for the Divas Championship in NXT in 2013, and hopes to have the opportunity to do more with her in the future.
“I think the fans just want to keep this work out,” Bailey said of Lee's possible return. “She's very sweet. She won't disappoint their expectations either. She says never, but that applies to everything. She still looks great in the ring. We had a little match for about 5 minutes and she was very smooth and very snappy.
“So for her to be back there as a professional is going to be really great to see how our characters function today. But as an athlete, especially at the level I'm at right now, Well, it would be a lot of fun just being with someone like her. [compared] Until Bailey in 2013. She was just a deer learning how to walk. ”
In early December, Bayley received an autograph from a young male fan at a live event in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which she eventually broke and trended for X. It said, “Bailey is hot.”
She said part of the fun of being at a house show is being able to react more naturally to what you see.
“I think people who see me tearing down signs online will want to interact that way,” Bailey said. “Every time I see a sign of whether it's supporting you or asking me to break it.'' How can I give them a great experience so they know that I'm here?'
“I was just going around ripping stuff and then I looked at it and I was like, 'That's saying I'm not hot, so I can't rip that.' I know I'm showing it off a little bit. Yeah, you can see there's one smart guy here. That's what I'm thinking. When I get up on the apron, people go crazy. That's when I thought to myself, “Wait, I don't need you guys to think I'm hot.” I know I'm hot. ” That's the type of person I am.
“The fact that online, you never know what's going to get noticed, what's going to be featured on TV, what's going to end up being worn on a T-shirt because of what's on Twitter. So let's play around a little bit. People just do it. I’m having fun.”
