One of the hottest rumors of 2026 is Bayley’s contractual status. She’s still signed to WWE through 2026, apparently, and there will undoubtedly be a bidding war for her services once she becomes available. AEW is heavily interested in procuring her services while WWE surely wants to keep her on a roster that hasn’t been without her dating all the way back to December of 2012.
That’s when she first signed with the company. She spent four years in developmental before making the jump to the main roster,
and she did nothing but make history along the way. It’s not an exaggeration to say that without her contributions more generally, women may not have the foothold in WWE they enjoy now. Outside of headlining WrestleMania, she’s quite literally done it all.
And maybe that’s the biggest reason for her to move on to something new.
There’s nothing left for her in WWE. They can pay her well, sure, but how secure does that even feel in the TKO era? There’s far more security in AEW, it would mean a reunion with her best friend in Mercedes Mone, and opens up a wide range of compelling possibilities that simply would not exist if she re-signed with WWE.
I suppose it’s possible she could come in and Tony Khan forgets about her within a year or so but she would instantly come in as arguably the top star in the division, and someone who should be a regular presence on television week in and week out.
New matches, new moments, more creative freedom — what’s not to love about this idea?
