SmackDown: Did WWE plant seeds for top faction's break up?

The latest SmackDown episode has sent the WWE Universe into a frenzy. Amidst the ongoing rumors of a potential split, a spot between Bayley and IYO SKY on the blue brand teased that Damage CTRL may not last till its anniversary celebrations this summer.

SKY is set to face Bianca Belair for the RAW Women's Championship at Backlash. To intimidate the champ before the high-profile match, Damage CTRL ambushed her during a promo on SmackDown. The spot of interest in question occurred when Bayley blindsided Belair and caused her to fall on IYO.

The Genius of the SKY's Missile Dropkick on Belair during the 3-on-1 assault prompted Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez to make the save. This gave the challenger credibility while confirming that Bayley and Dakota Kai would be hunting the Women's Tag Team Titles. Yet, the focus is on that spot, which could be a botch or a massive storyline hint.

Damage CTRL and Bianca Belair have been at odds for a long time now. Bayley tried to dethrone The EST of WWE multiple times but failed. Even though IYO SKY vowed to defeat Bianca during a backstage segment, The Role Model didn't seem convinced.

Following a string of losses on RAW, Bayley was suspected to snap after witnessing IYO's success. This won't be the case anymore, but a teaser of a long-term build-up to a stable split has been provided on SmackDown. Due to her wholesome attitude and growing popularity, SKY is massively speculated to transition to the good side.

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SmackDown Superstar IYO SKY was a babyface in her developmental days

Formerly known as Io Shirai, the acclaimed Japanese wrestler debuted as a babyface on NXT. She teamed with Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane from 2018 to mid-2019. Sane and Shirai were dubbed the Sky Pirates at that time.

Following Sane's move to the main roster, and the subsequent disbanding of The Sky Pirates, Shirai continued her feud with then-champion Shayna Baszler, Duke, and Shafir.

This led to a title match between Shirai and Baszler for the NXT Women's Championship at TakeOver 2019. Even though she lost, her performance was commendable.

SmackDown star IYO SKY won her first main roster championship a year after the disappointing loss to Baszler. She defeated Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair and thus began a title reign of over 300 days. Her fan-favorite persona developed naturally over time, given that she defeated two top stars of the women's division.

Could IYO SKY turn babyface again in her new run on SmackDown? It depends on whether WWE has great plans for her in the singles division rather than as a side character in Bayley's Damage CTRL.