• Bayley’s AEW Tease Reportedly Didn’t Sit Well With WWE Officials
Bayley caused quite a stir backstage after posting a cryptic training video on social media, with multiple people inside WWE reacting negatively to the upload.
While there is still no clear update on where her contract talks stand, the video was noticeably seen by some backstage staff as an eyebrow-raising move, according to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select.
In the clip, Bayley showed footage of herself training in different locations alongside various wrestlers, including AEW star Mercedes Moné. Making matters more tense, she used a song called “All In” for the audio track and added the caption “all or nothing, baby” – a combination that many felt was a clear tease toward AEW.
• 3 Title Matches & 3 New Segments Announced For SmackDown
WWE has announced the updated card for this week’s SmackDown:
– United States Championship Match: Baron Corbin (c) vs. Carmelo Hayes
– Women’s United States Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jacy Jayne
– WWE Tag Team Championship Match: R-Truth and Damian Priest (c) vs. The MFTs (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga) (with Haku) vs. AAA Tag Team Champions The War Raiders (Erik and Ivar)
– CM Punk and Kevin Owens will meet one week before their Undisputed WWE Championship match
– Cody Rhodes will look to get his hands on Randy Orton
– Paige will address Nikki Bella’s heel turn
• Backstage News On Zilla Fatu’s Name In WWE
WWE made the decision to let Zilla Fatu keep his established ring name long before he made his official promotional debut, according to a report from False Finish. Company management reportedly had no serious discussions about rebranding or changing his name prior to his arrival.
Fatu made a surprise debut during the August 11 episode of NXT, interfering in the NXT Championship No. 1 Contender’s Match between Cruz Montana and Grayson Waller. Commentators identified him immediately as he attacked both competitors before engaging in a standoff with NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo.
WWE plans to use NXT as Fatu’s initial launchpad, taking an approach similar to how the company previously built up Solo Sikoa before moving him to the main roster. Rather than downplaying his heritage, WWE leaned into his lineage during his debut, where Fatu utilized signature moves including the Samoan Drop, Superman Spike, and Uso Splash.
