Okay, I think it’s safe to say that the Damage CTRL split has been coming for a while now, but the way it’s playing out is pure genius.

In the world of professional wrestling, it’s more common than not to see the leader of a stable be the one choosing to kick out a particular member for whatever reason. However, in the case of Bayley, it appears to be happening the other way around, with Kairi Sane, IYO SKY, Asuka, and Dakota Kai hinting that they may be gearing up to kick her out of the group. Bayley herself has seemed to take note of this, looking concerned by a particular quote from Dakota Kai who translated a conversation between Sane, SKY, and Asuka.

“It’s nothing, but IYO was just saying this isn’t the new and improved Damage CTRL,” Kai said. “Because someone in this ring is not a part of the new and improved Damage CTRL.”

Of course, SKY was (apparently) referring to Asuka not yet being made an official member of the group, but Bayley’s character work is pure genius here. Unlike 99.9% of other wrestlers in similar situations, she’s not ignoring the obvious. She sees what’s happening and hears what her teammates (Kai in particular) have to say, which has caused her to become quite paranoid. Yes, this isn’t the first time that this scenario has ever happened, but it’s a refreshing change of pace from the usual stable break-ups we see in the modern age. I’m super interested to see where this ends up going and have high hopes as things continue to unfold.