Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria Feud to End With ‘Rare’ WWE Women’s Match: 4 Guesses, Including 3 Stages of Hell
WWE has an idea for how to end the feud between Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, and it would involve a match the women’s division does not see often.
According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, there was a creative idea as of last week for the two to meet in a blowoff match with a stipulation that would be considered “rare” for the women’s division. The stipulation was not disclosed, but the source said it would not be a Hell in a Cell match.
The rivalry is one of the longest-running feuds on WWE television. Bayley and Valkyria were friends and tag team partners before Valkyria turned on her after the two failed to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship from Paige and Brie Bella.
The two met five days later at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Madison Square Garden. Valkyria won by submission, then reapplied the hold on the outside and hit Bayley with the Nightwing onto the steel steps after the bell.
Bayley was off television for about seven weeks after that loss. She returned on the Sept. 7 episode of Raw during Valkyria’s Money in the Bank qualifying match against Sol Ruca and Maxxine Dupri. Bayley pulled the referee out of the ring before Valkyria could win, which allowed Ruca to steal the victory and the spot in the ladder match. Bayley then attacked Valkyria and tried to put her through a table.
The following week, Bayley made it clear her return was not a one-night revenge attack. The two met again on the Sept. 21 episode of Raw. Bayley attacked Valkyria before the bell and sent her over the announce desk during the match, but Valkyria rolled her up for the win.
Valkyria is now 2-0 against Bayley in singles matches during the feud, while Bayley has cost Valkyria a chance at a Money in the Bank briefcase. Hell in a Cell has been ruled out, but WWE has several options that would fit the “rare” description.
Buried Alive Match
A Buried Alive match would be the most unusual choice on the list. The match is best known for The Undertaker, and it is won by burying an opponent in a grave set up near the ring. It would require a lot of production and would be a major change of pace for the women’s division, which is exactly why it would stand out. It would also fit Bayley, who has said her return was not a one-night revenge attack.
Eye for an Eye Match
An Eye for an Eye match would lean into how personal this rivalry has become. The match is won by removing an opponent’s eye, and WWE used it when Seth Rollins faced Rey Mysterio at Extreme Rules in 2020. That match was criticized by many fans, and it would be a tough sell for any feud, but it would certainly meet the definition of rare for the women’s division.
Inferno Match
An Inferno match would bring back one of WWE’s most famous gimmick matches. It is won by setting an opponent on fire, and it was made famous by Kane, whose first Inferno match came against The Undertaker in 1998. The fire would give Bayley and Valkyria a visual the women’s division rarely gets, but WWE would have to decide whether that kind of match fits two wrestlers who have mostly had straight wrestling matches in this feud.
Three Stages of Hell
Three Stages of Hell is the most realistic option and the one that fits the story best. The match is a best-of-three falls contest, with each fall under a different stipulation. Drew McIntyre beat Cody Rhodes in one fall for the Undisputed WWE Championship in January, and the format would give Bayley and Valkyria room to settle the feud in different ways.
Bayley has not beaten Valkyria in a singles match yet, and a three-fall match would give her a chance to finally get one back while still giving the feud a clear ending.
