"There was a real connection there" - Bayley reflects on her run in WWE as a babyface

Multi-time world champion Bayley has opened up about her babyface run in WWE and her character development.

The Role Model made her main roster debut in 2016 as a good guy. She was known as The Hugger, and hugging people was part of her gimmick. She wore colorful attire, had a ponytail, and always interacted with the crowd. She had wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube men as part of her entrance, which she destroyed after turning heel in late 2019. She's portrayed a villain on TV since that year.

During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Bayley stated that she had a connection with the fans as The Hugger and that her character changes are aligned with how she feels in her life.

“My character changes have always aligned with how I feel in my life and with how my character is developing. The Hugger stuff, people watched me grow up. There was a real connection there. Fans became like family. When my character did start to change, it was like my family watched me turn into a bratty teenager going through a rough patch. I wouldn’t have had the connection to do that without my time as The Hugger," she said. [H/T Sports Illustrated]

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Bayley says she and Sasha Banks will always be destined for one more match

The Damage CTRL leader and The Boss were partners and rivals in WWE. The latter is no longer with the company, but the duo are still close.

During the interview, Bayley commented on possibly sharing the ring with Sasha Banks again.

“We’ll always be destined for one more match. Our next match will never be our last. We’re ‘The Brooklyn Girls’. We’re going to live on forever because of that match, and it’s something we can carry on forever," she said.

The Role Model collided with her longtime rival Bianca Belair on SmackDown last week. She lost the bout via pinfall.

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