The WWE Raw Women’s Division got a huge boost at SummerSlam as Bayley made her return with Dakota Kai and Io Shirai by her side.
Triple H has been at the helm of both talent relationships and creative for less than a week, but he left his mark when the shock alliance was formed in Nashville when Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair had a target on her chest.
After beating Becky Lynch in a stunning opening match – played at breakneck speed and matched their history perfectly – WWE’s EST celebrated its big win.
It was short-lived, however, as Bayley’s music hit and the Role Model made her long-awaited comeback to the roar of the crowd – but she didn’t come alone.
First Dakota made her own return months after she was fired from the company earlier this year as part of repeated roster cuts.
It’s a great sign that Triple H has already brought back one of its own NXT protectors and immediately put them in a prominent place.
Likewise, the duo was joined by fellow black and gold alumni Io Shirai, who was rumored to be on her way to leave the company with no main roster debut in sight.
The formidable trio stepped into the ring with Belair in their sights, but they had reinforcements in the unlikely form of Becky Lynch.
This was exactly the kind of injection of energy and unpredictability that SummerSlam needed to prove that Triple H will make some big changes across the board.
Bayley’s injury in July 2021 came at a difficult time as WWE got ready to welcome fans back to SmackDown the following week, ahead of the UK tours in September and November.
After transitioning to a more evil personality shortly before the pandemic, she came into her own and carried the company through the PC and ThunderDome era, and she was excited to see how fans react to her character.
“I’m curious how they will react to me when I come back,” she says exclusively told Metro.co.uk at the time. ‘I feel so grateful that’ [WWE] gave me the chance to show a different side of myself and show that I can be so much more. I’m having a good time!’
She added: ‘This is definitely one of the most fun matches and moments and stories I’ve experienced in my career. It hasn’t even been for real fans! So I can’t wait to stand in front of fans and share that with them.”
WWE SummerSlam is available to stream on the WWE Network.
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