Bayley Calls Out WWE Locker Room Behavior That ‘Drives he...

By Andrew Ravens‎

Contributing Sports Writer

ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

A WWE star has addressed the issue of current talent leaving shows early rather than staying behind to watch others perform. With almost two decades of experience in wrestling, Bayley leads by example as one of the most tenured performers in the current locker room.

During an appearance on the "Six Feet Under with The Undertaker" podcast, the "Role Model" was praised by co-host Michelle McCool for living up to her moniker. McCool noted that she had observed that Bayley is always one of the last performers to leave WWE events.

Bayley was then asked for her thoughts on talent leaving early, prompting her to recall how the culture differed when she first arrived on the main roster.

"Yeah, that just blows my mind. When I first got on the road, all the live events you always watched. Cena watched everything, Roman watched everything. These last few years, Seth is always at the front monitor, so if you’re at the live events, if you come back through the curtain, there’s that monitor right there," Bayley said.

...

More news: Nikki Bella Reunites With Ex-Boyfriend At WWE Raw

Bayley expressed frustration that top stars like Seth Rollins are often left without an audience of peers to mentor. She described situations where wrestlers would ask for advice but then vanish before the headliners returned through the curtain.

"When people come back they ask Seth, ‘Oh what did you think?’ Then I can hear what he’s saying to them and then I’m learning too. But then lately there’s some people who just leave, then Seth comes back from the main event and nobody’s there," Bayley said (H/T to WrestlingNews.co).

She noted that this behavior is confusing to her, especially when younger talent misses the opportunity to learn from veterans.

"That is like, ‘what? You just asked for his advice, and nobody’s here.’ That drives me crazy. Or if some people aren’t on the show, they just take off, and I can’t... I have this conversation with some people, and I just don’t get it. It’s different, and I don’t know what’s missing," Bayley said.

Despite the shift in backstage culture, Bayley remains committed to setting a standard for the women's division.

"For me I’m just trying to lead by example so I’d hope some of the girls see I’m still here, or I’m not booked but I’m in gorilla, or I’m not booked but I’m watching the girl’s matches no matter what, and that would maybe (lead to others thinking’) oh maybe I should stay too’. Some may think like that, some may not," Bayley said.

On television, Bayley is currently embroiled in a heated rivalry with her former stablemates in Damage CTRL. Following a loss at "Survivor Series," Bayley and her new ally Lyra Valkyria have been petitioning "Raw" General Manager Adam Pearce for a shot at the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships held by The Kabuki Warriors. While Pearce has taken the request "under consideration," the duo faces stiff competition from the team of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, who also laid claim to a title opportunity on the December 1 episode of "Raw".

More WWE News: