100 Greatest WWE WrestleMania Moments
63. Babyface Bayley Comes Full Circle (WrestleMania 40)
'Mania 40's closing night saw Cody Rhodes "finish the story" by winning the WWE Title from Roman Reigns. Before that, creative brought somebody else full circle and ended what had at times been a tumultuous marathon from 'girl next door' babyface to edgy heel. Bayley finished her own tale in the penultimate match by beating IYO SKY to capture the Women's Championship, and fans loved it.
Their Damage CTRL schism had been one of TVs hottest stories leading up to the weekender. Hopes were high that Bayley would use victory as a trampoline to reborn face success. That sort of happened. In truth, everything that's happened with her character since has been so-so, but WrestleMania was a killer night for Bayley and her buddies. People breathed new life into her bones by cheering on every comeback, and the match winning pin was greeted with a cacophony of deafening noise.
Hearing that had to feel great for someone who'd looked on puzzled as fans booed her sympathetic babyface act years before. That unwanted response forced change in 2019. It's why Bayley punctured her inflatable entrance pals, cut her hair and went for something altogether less wholesome. Somewhat ironically, wholesome would be the ideal word to describe reactions to her win in spring 2024.
Seeing such a hard worker come full circle and rekindle her connection with the core audience put a smile on millions of faces. Kudos to WWE for smartly programming her win as a prelude to Cody's own celebrations too. That was clever booking from Triple H, and it was also a massive show of faith in Bayley as a reborn baby.