WrestleMania is right around the corner, and Bayley got to call her shot for the grandest stage of them all after she won the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match. The breakup with Damage CTRL that followed was a long time coming.
WWE fans saw Damage CTRL break up as Bayley declared her shot at IYO Sky’s WWE Women’s Title. That split came in a hurry, but there were plans in motion already for the stable’s demise.
Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select to explain that plans regarding Bayley and Damage CTRL’s breakup dates back to last year.
The split within Damage CTRL was strategically planned several months prior to the actual breakup, and Charlotte Flair was supposed to be involved as well. It was reported that, “the idea was for Charlotte to aid Bayley in fighting off Damage CTRL when the turn eventually happened.”
Mercedes Mone’s Involvement
Mercedes Mone and WWE were in talks, but they hit a financial roadblock. Her involvement in Bayley’s breakup with Damage CTRL was never factored into any plan.
It was also noted that things may have changed if Mercedes had worked out a deal with WWE. However, that never came to pass. It was also nothing that ever got far enough along to plan out.
One source in WWE said that Mercedes signing with WWE when they had talks definitely could have changed things, but that wasn’t the working plan and things didn’t get far enough for advanced creative pitches.
Bayley will battle IYO Sky for the WWE Women’s Title at WrestleMania 40, and that will be a crescendo for a long storyline. We will have to see if Bayley will be able to overcome her former faction on the grandest stage of them all.