3 possible directions for Bayley once she makes her return to WWE 

It's been almost a year since the last on-screen appearance of WWE's resident role model Bayley, as the former Smackdown Women's Champion was sidelined with an ACL injury this past summer.

Since then, not much has been stated about when and where she'll make her return, but most would agree that it'll make for quite a magnificent moment when the day finally comes.

What's in store for Bayley once she returns? Perhaps more importantly, where will she fall in the WWE pecking order?

Here are 3 possible directions for Bayley once she returns.

---

#3 Bayley becomes Ms. Money in the Bank again

She made it happen in 2019 and while no one knew it at the time, the victory was a turning point for Bayley on the main roster. Bayley wasted little time cashing in as she defeated Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women's Championship in about 20 seconds that very same night.

She'd hold the championship for 140 days before dropping it back to Flair at that year's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. Soon after, she won the belt for a second time and is currently the longest-reigning WWE Smackdown Women's Champion in the company's history.

Although she has teased a return to WWE, Bayley's involvement in the 2022 Women's Money in the Bank has yet to be announced. With the Money in the Bank premium live event just a week away, Bayley could make a surprise return in the ladder match and win the briefcase.

---

#2 She forms a new stable in the WWE Women's Tag Team Division

As you may recall, 2019 saw the birth of the company's brand new Women's Tag Team Championships. The belts were initially won by Sasha Banks and Bayley at that year's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event.

At the time, the division consisted of notable teams such as The Riott Squad, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville, The Samoan Slaughterhouse, The IIconics.

As of 2022, the aforementioned teams have either been released or split up. The company has since gone from having legitimate tandems to random tag teams that usually don't last longer than a year.

There's no way to sugarcoat the fact that the women's tag division went from having tons of potential to being largely ignored in the span of a few years. If the division is revived, perhaps they plan to pair Bayley with a fellow WWE Superstar. This would mark a positive return for Bayley, while also doing a world of good to the women's tag team division.

---

#1 Bayley gets lost in the shuffle

"Heeeey Bayley...ooh ah! I wanna knoooow if you'll be my girl."

It's been ages since the WWE Universe got a chance to chant this sing-along. There's a reason for that. Bayley doesn't play the lovable hugger anymore.

She traded her colorful wardrobe, girl next door personality, and wacky inflatable arm flailing Bayley buddies in for a persona we now refer to as the ultimate Karen. It wasn't well received initially, but with time, Bayley's change of gimmick turned out to be a great decision.

She went from a nice, loveable babyface to the longest-reigning Smackdown Women's Champion.

But that was then, and it begs so many questions regarding her return. With a new generation of women emerging in the company, let's hope she doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

Will WWE still book Bayley as the MVP of the division like she was during the pandemic era? Or has her time come and gone as quickly as it did when she was all about that hug life?