Bayley made her surprise return to WWE television during the September 7 episode of Raw from Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
The former WWE Women’s Champion resurfaced during the Money in the Bank qualifying match between Sol Ruca, Lyra Valkyria and Maxxine Dupri, immediately reigniting her issues with Valkyria.
Valkyria appeared to have the match won after connecting with Nightwing on Dupri, but Bayley suddenly emerged and pulled the referee out of the ring before the three-count could be completed.
A stunned Valkyria turned her attention toward Bayley, giving Ruca the opportunity to hit the Sol Snatcher and score the victory to qualify for the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
Bayley’s involvement didn’t end with costing Valkyria the match.
She attacked Valkyria afterward with a series of stiff forearms and a knee strike before delivering Valkyria’s own Nightwing to her on the floor. Bayley then began clearing off the announce table and attempted a powerbomb, but Valkyria managed to escape before she could do any further damage.
The appearance marked Bayley’s first time on WWE programming since losing to Valkyria at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 18. She competed at two non-televised WWE events shortly afterward but had remained absent from Raw ever since.
Her return comes amid considerable speculation surrounding her long-term WWE future.
Bayley’s contract has reportedly been expected to expire during the fourth quarter of 2026, fueling speculation that she could eventually leave WWE and potentially reunite with longtime friend Mercedes Moné in AEW.
Moné has done little to quiet those rumors. She previously shared a mock AEW WrestleDream poster promoting a match between herself and “Davina Rose,” the ring name Bayley used before signing with WWE.
The AEW Women’s World Champion also acknowledged Bayley during the All In: London afterparty, playing her WWE entrance music and displaying her TitanTron video while bringing Bayley on stage. Bayley later reacted to the moment on social media with a laughing emoji.
Recent indications had nevertheless pointed toward Bayley remaining with WWE, with creative pitches for her return to Raw reportedly being discussed internally in the weeks leading up to Monday’s show.
Her appearance confirms that Bayley is back in WWE storylines for the immediate future, with Monday’s attack seemingly setting the stage for her rivalry with Valkyria to resume.
Whether her return offers any indication about her contract status beyond that remains unclear.
