Bayley wins WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40

Bayley is the new WWE Women’s Champion.

WWE’s first-ever women’s Grand Slam Champion added another accolade on Sunday in Philadelphia at WrestleMania 40, defeating IYO SKY in the show’s semi-main event to win the Women’s Championship.

In a bout where SKY kicked out of a Bayley-to-Belly, and Bayley kicked out of SKY’s trademark moonsault, Bayley scored the win by pinfall after a flying elbow and a Rose Plant.

The title match ends a nearly two-year storyline following Bayley forming the Damage CTRL group with SKY and Dakota Kai at SummerSlam 2022, Asuka & Kairi Sane eventually joining the group, then ultimately Damage CTRL turning on Bayley after her Royal Rumble win this year. 

NFL star George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers was ringside for Bayley’s win, as Bayley is a San Francisco Bay Area native and a Niners fan. Kittle’s appearance was highlighted on the WrestleMania broadcast.

While she had pushed for a live appearance by Paramore for WrestleMania, the band’s touring schedule would not allow for it according to Bayley’s social media. Instead the Hayley Williams-fronted group provided music for the pre-match video package for Bayley on Sunday.

Bayley’s best friend and former tag team partner Mercedes Mone posted the following message to Bayley on social media on Sunday:

Be so good they can’t ignore you because yoU we’re born to do this @itsBayleyWWE

Bayley becomes the fourth wrestler to hold the Women’s title since it was rebranded from the Raw Women’s Championship last year.