Bayley may not actually be heading toward free agency anytime soon, but Jim Ross already knows how he would react if she somehow became available. He wants her in AEW, and he believes she could bring considerably more to the company than another recognizable name.
Speaking on Grilling JR, Ross was asked about the conflicting reports surrounding Bayley’s WWE contract and whether he would like to see her in AEW if she eventually became available. There wasn’t much hesitation.
“Oh, hell yeah. Yeah, really I do. She would add to the women’s, the ever-growing women’s division in AEW.”
For Ross, Bayley’s value wouldn’t stop when her matches ended. He believes her experience could make her an important presence for some of the younger women on AEW’s roster who are still figuring things out.
“Bayley could help. You know, a veteran. She could answer questions that some of these young ladies might not have the answers to. She could be a leader, which is very, what I’m trying to say, which is very important. And she’s still a hell of a hand. She’s still a hell of a hand.”
That led Ross back to his years working under Vince McMahon and a very different philosophy WWE once had when looking for female talent. Ross recalled McMahon specifically telling him to find “athletic tens,” with Trish Stratus eventually becoming his example of exactly what WWE was looking for at the time.
“I remember when McMahon said, ‘I want, J.R., I want you to go out and hire me some athletic tens.’ And if you look up the definition of athletic ten, then you see Trish Stratus, and I hired her, and that kind of set the bar.”
Bayley, in Ross’ eyes, represents why that kind of template doesn’t determine whether someone can become a major wrestling star. He pointed to her ability inside the ring and the career she has built without needing to fit that old mold.
“Well, Bayley has successfully had a great career, has had great success not looking like that because she’s got talent and she can work, she can wrestle.”
Ross also believes AEW has become a much stronger landing spot for women over time. He credited Tony Khan with continuing to add talent and strengthen the division.
“Tony Khan has done a great job of paying attention to the women. I don’t mean that in a wise-ass remark, but he’s hired some really good talents and the division continues to strengthen as we move forward.”
Then Ross came back to the hypothetical that started the whole conversation and made his feelings about Bayley perfectly clear. Ross also believes Khan would naturally be interested if that opportunity ever presented itself.
“She would be a great addition to AEW. I would celebrate her arrival if it were to occur. And I’m sure that Tony Khan, who has a great eye for talent, he has to be interested in it. And I’m sure he’d be very interested in her.”
The important part is that there’s currently no indication Bayley is actually available. Her contract situation briefly became confusing after reports claimed she signed a new WWE deal following her September 7 RAW return, but PWInsider subsequently reported that no new contract was signed and that Bayley still has plenty of time remaining on her existing deal.
Bayley is also back on the RAW roster full-time after immediately restarting her issues with Lyra Valkyria. So Ross isn’t suggesting an AEW move is happening. He’s simply making it very clear where he’ll be standing if Bayley ever does hit the open market: ready to celebrate.
Would Bayley be a good fit for AEW if she eventually became available, or would you rather see her finish her career in WWE? Let us know in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
