The cause of Bayley’s ‘freak accident’ injury that has seen the former WWE Women’s Champion sidelined for up to nine months has reportedly been revealed.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, Bayley sustained an ACL tear during a mandatory ‘return to road’ training session at the WWE Performance Center
The report goes on to add that ‘The Role Model’ was chain wrestling as part of the preparation for WWE’s return to live touring and during the training session her knee would ‘pop’.
Bayley’s injury has left the WWE in need of a last-minute replacement ahead of the Money in the Bank PPV on July 18th with Bayley originally billed to take on WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair in an ‘I Quit’ match.
WWE announced via social media that they will be announcing Bayley’s replacement at WWE Money in the Bank on tonight’s July 9th edition of Friday Night SmackDown.
BREAKING NEWS: @itsBayleyWWE has suffered an injury while training and will be out approximately nine months.
A replacement for her match against @BiancaBelairWWE at #MITB will be announced tonight on #SmackDown.https://t.co/qLsf8KTHNp
— WWE (@WWE) July 9, 2021
Fightful Select’s initial report also added that at least two talents on the SmackDown roster were openly frustrated about the company’s lack of roster depth and how it has left the brand struggling to find a last-minute replacement for Bayley with one member of the SmackDown roster stating that the WWE ‘did it to themselves.’
The card for Money In The Bank is taking shape as Roman Reigns will defend the WWE Universal Title against Edge while WWE Champion Bobby Lashley puts his title on the line against Kofi Kingston. Rhea Ripley defends her Raw Women’s Title once more against Charlotte Flair while the line-ups for both Money In The Bank matches are almost complete. Asuka, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, Nikki ASH, Carmella, and the returning Zelina Vega will be joined by two more competitors still to be determined. In the men’s match Ricochet, John Morrison, Riddle, Drew McIntyre, Big E, and Kevin Owens will be joined by either Seth Rollins or Cesaro and King Nakamura or Baron Corbin.
Inside The Ropes will continue to update this story as it develops.