Bayley made her return to WWE programming on the September 15 episode of Monday Night Raw, and it appears she has made a decision about her character’s future by embracing her past. The former multi-time champion returned to make a save for Lyra Valkyria and then seemed to revert to her fan-favorite “Hugger” persona that made her a star in NXT. The character shift comes after a series of vignettes that have aired in recent weeks, which have depicted Bayley struggling with an internal dilemma over which of her past personas to use as she moves forward in her career.
The moment occurred following a singles match between Lyra Valkyria and The Judgment Day’s Roxanne Perez. After Valkyria secured the victory, she was subjected to a two-on-one post-match assault by Perez and her partner, Raquel Rodriguez. This led to Bayley’s music to hit, and she ran to the ring to even the odds, fighting off both members of The Judgment Day and clearing them from the ring.
After the save, Bayley had a stare-down with Valkyria, appearing to still be in conflict with herself. However, she then suddenly broke character, exited the ring, and began enthusiastically hugging everyone at ringside. Her targets included commentators Joe Tessitore and Corey Graves, ring announcer Alicia Taylor, referee Jessicka Carr, members of the security team, and several fans in the front row.