WWE: The Latest Info on Bayley's New Faction Heading Into WWE Raw
Bayley made her long-awaited return from injury at SummerSlam this past weekend and confronted Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair alongside Dakota Kai and Io Shirai, now going by Io Sky. Details about "The Role Model's" new group have since made their way online, including how Kai wound up back in the company despite being released earlier this year, Shirai's name change and the potential name for the group.
We'll start with that last bit. Bayley tweeted a photo alongside Kai and Sky on Sunday alongside the caption, "CONTROL," indicating that's the name of the faction. She also tweeted out song lyrics to the Janet Jackson song, "Control" to further get the point across.
CONTROL pic.twitter.com/ybFPZnZbkf
— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) July 31, 2022
Kai was released back in late April after alerting WWE that she didn't plan on renewing her contract. According to Fightful Select, Kai was one of the people Triple H listed as a high priority to bring back into the company once he took over as WWE's Head of Creative. Multiple companies apparently wanted to sign her, including AEW, but those negotiations apparently never progressed.
As for Sky, reports of her looking to return to Japan without signing a new contract recently popped up which she attempted to shoot down. The call-up indicates she has signed a new deal with the promotion and marks her first onscreen appearance since NXT Stand & Deliver during WrestleMania 38 weekend. It's unclear as of now what led to the name change. WWE Shop has since posted new merchandise for all three women.
Fightful Select also noted that the group was an idea that had been previously pitched under the Vince McMahon regime but was shot down at the time — "We've heard that the stable was actually pitched quite a while ago — before Dakota's release — and Vince McMahon rejected it. There were other versions pitched that included Raquel and Kay Lee Ray before they got called up and repackaged, respectively."
What do you think the future holds for the new faction? Could their introduction lead to the return of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships while Bayley chases Belair's Raw Women's Championship? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!
