Frustration boils over Bayley not having a match on SummerSlam 2025

There are favorites in professional wrestling, and then there are fan favorites. Performers who reach another tier of revelry with viewers around the world. Bayley is one of those names, as she’s one of the most important women’s wrestlers of this decade. However, WWE does not treat her like that. In fact, the company treats her as an afterthought, which is easy to see as she’s set to miss SummerSlam 2025.

Rewind the clock a few months ago. WrestleMania 41 was set to be a major WWE showcase. Fans were excited about everything that was planned for the show. For some, that excitement turned to anger when news about Bayley’s removal hit the airwaves. She wasn’t truly injured, but the storyline was that she was attacked backstage by a mystery assailant, setting the stage for Becky Lynch to team with Lyra Valkyria to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.

That angle has run its course, creating the most interesting women’s angle in WWE today as Lynch and Valkyria continue to battle for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship. But where does that leave Bayley? Once again, she’s on the outside looking in.

WWE keeping Bayley off SummerSlam 2025 is a mistake

It is astounding that WWE continues to keep Bayley off its biggest annual shows. Just months after that needless angle to bring Lynch back into the fold, the disrespect continues heading into the next major show of the year. SummerSlam is two nights for the first time ever, and it does a good job highlighting the women’s division. There are four matches planned for the weekend featuring 11 women combined. That’s a strong representation, and WWE should be commended for that. But it doesn’t negate the fact that the company is making a mistake by not finding a way to use Bayley.

There’s a lot of scuttlebutt online about what Bayley should do when her current contract ends. Should she re-sign with WWE, knowing that she’ll be seen as an important part of the roster, but not one who will get the type of moments her fanbase believes she should have? Or should she take her talents elsewhere? Fans will immediately point to AEW, hoping she’d join Mercedes Mone, but Bayley could have a strong run in STARDOM and other Japanese organizations, where there is a plethora of women ready to stand across from her.

Only time will tell what happens. But one thing remains true right now. Bayley has found success in WWE. She’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But there’s another tier that she’ll never reach. WWE’s penchant for keeping her off bigger shows proves that point.