4 possible finishes for Bayley vs. Dakota Kai on WWE SmackDown - Former champion to join The Role Model's side?
WWE Friday Night SmackDown aired last night on the FOX Network with over 13,000 screaming fans in attendance. The show was an exciting one, as it featured Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes confronting Roman Reigns and The Rock in an epic segment.
The show also continued the ongoing Damage CTRL saga. The stable, which Bayley created back in 2022, now has The Role Model on the outside looking in. Meanwhile, IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, Dakota Kai, and Asuka are all gunning for her.
During SmackDown this week, Bayley spoke to Kayla Braxton and expressed her feelings regarding the split. Damage CTRL later responded, which included Dakota Kai making a shocking challenge to Bayley for a match on next week's show.
The bout has been accepted and it is confirmed to be taking place on the next edition of SmackDown. Now, many are wondering how it may end. Will Dakota's in-ring return go down properly this time? Could this be yet another set up? Who could walk away as the winner? In this article, we will look at a handful of ways the bout may end.
Below are four possible finishes for Bayley vs. Dakota Kai on WWE SmackDown.
#4. Bayley could win cleanly on WWE SmackDown
It is easy to overlook Bayley and her talent. She spent much of the past year in WWE losing to many names on the roster. While some believe she is selfless for it, others have begun to doubt her ability.
Make no mistake, however, Bayley is uber talented and successful. She is a Grand Slam Champion who has won the NXT Women's Championship, RAW Women's Championship, SmackDown Women's Championship, and the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles.
Bayley is extremely talented and may very well show it on next week's episode of SmackDown. She could hit the Bayley-To-Belly or the Rose Plant and defeat her friend-turned-foe cleanly in the middle of the ring.
#3. Damage CTRL could help Dakota Kai win her return match
As noted, Damage CTRL is a stable that Bayley initially created. The faction, which at the time consisted of Bayley, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai, first debuted at WWE SummerSlam 2022.
The group expanded in late 2023. Asuka and Kairi Sane, collectively known as The Kabuki Warriors, joined the group following The Pirate Princess' return to WWE. This made the stable more dangerous than ever and that remains the case even with Bayley not included.
Thanks to the sheer numbers advantage, there's a chance Dakota Kai could win on SmackDown thanks to interference. If IYO, Asuka, and Kairi are ringside, they can provide enough distractions and potentially even cheap shots to set Dakota up for a running boot to the face. From there, a pinfall loss could be in Bayley's future.
#2. The match could never actually happen and be yet another ambush
While Dakota Kai's in-ring return is set for WWE Friday Night SmackDown next week, it was actually supposed to have happened a week prior. Dakota Kai was set to return from injury to battle The Kabuki Warriors with Bayley by her side.
Unfortunately for Bayley, things didn't go as expected in the tag team match on WWE SmackDown. Dakota never properly tagged into the match. Once Bayley leapt for a tag, Kai jumped down and revealed her continued allegiance with Damage CTRL. The group then beat The Role Model down.
This proposed singles match could end up being another set up. Once the bell rings, or even before hand, the other members of Damage CTRL could invade the ring. From there, the four women could beat Bayley down and stand tall over her yet again.
#1. Naomi could surprisingly help Bayley fight off Damage CTRL
Naomi is back in WWE! Just a few months before Bayley formed Damage CTRL in 2022, Naomi walked out of the company alongside Sasha Banks. While The Boss might not make her return any time soon, The Queen of Glow is back.
The former SmackDown Women's Champion was part of an interesting segment on WWE SmackDown last night. She was shown watching Bayley's interview with Kayla Braxton and expressed sympathy for The Role Model. Bianca Belair scoffed at it, believing Bayley made her own bed. Still, Naomi was clearly showing empathy.
The empathy could lead to Naomi saving the day on SmackDown next week. If Damage CTRL interferes on Dakota's behalf or tries to attack Bayley, Naomi could make a surprise return. Even if it led to the match being thrown out, Bayley would certainly feel lucky to have at least one friend in the locker room.