January 22, 2024. New Orleans, Louisiana. Smoothie King Center. Monday Night RAW. It was a night of reunions for Damage CTRL just days before the Royal Rumble. Bayley claimed she was going to confront Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley but her backbone gave out. Since her mouth never does, she instead went to the ring to reunite with and antagonize Becky Lynch and Nia Jax. Bayley got reacquainted with The Man Handle Slam courtesy of Lynch followed by a splash from Jax. It's no surprise to anyone that Bayley acted like a buffoon and got beat up.
Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark defeated Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell to move up in the tag rankings. WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Kayden Carter & Katana Chance confronted them in the ring as if they were their next challengers, showing disrespect to their actual next challengers Asuka & Kairi Sane. The Kabuki Warriors would not take that, hitting the ring to lay the champs out and stand tall above them. Zoey & Shayna fled like cowards the moment Baszler saw her ole NXT rival Dakota Kai hit the ring to join Asuka and Kairi. Shayna still fears Dakota.
Bayley joined up backstage with Dakota, Kairi and Asuka. Dakota expressed concern for Bayley because of the beating she took. Bayley insisted she was fine with a tone of ingratitude in her voice toward Dakota. That was rude of Bayley. Seconds later another reunion would go down with Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox meeting up for the first time since clashing in last year's Royal Rumble. Nox had her current tag partner Natalya in tow. Natalya remarked that Tegan and her felt disrespected by the SmackDown wrestlers showing up and attacking Katana and Kayden.
Dakota asked Natalya why she even cared. Our Captain made a good point because she's always right. You'd think Natalya would be grateful that Asuka and Kairi humiliated Katana and Kayden who humiliated Natalya and Tegan with the loss that put them on a losing streak. Speaking of Natalya and Bayley, they seem like the types who enjoy going to knife conventions.
Anyway. An argument ensued until RAW GM Adam Pearce broke it up a lot quicker than he broke that cage door lock open about a year ago at RAW 30. Pearce asked Natalya and Tegan to leave because he wanted to speak alone to Bayley. Someone is in trouble! Tegan and Natalya took their leave but not before Natalya huffed that Nox and her were sick of being disrespected.
Pearce told Bayley he invited her to RAW to promote the tag team titles match on SmackDown and Royal Rumble not to go into business for herself and cause chaos. Doesn't that tool know in pro-wrestling, chaos is the best promotion? Dakota told Pearce if he's got a problem with Damage CTRL to go talk to SmackDown GM Nick Aldis. Bayley pat Pearce on the shoulder reminding him that after Asuka and Kairi win the tag titles "you'll be seeing a lot of us buddy."
This is rare for your Chronicler but I'll admit Bayley actually handled herself pretty well dealing with Pearce. She got in her typical Bayley zinger but didn't succumb to buffoonery. Dakota went straight to the point with both Natalya and Pearce. It was as if they jelled together as leaders. But that's not to be. Bayley's only role is to be inspired by the recent encouragement of Dakota Kai and serve her as a useful instrument, securing Damage CTRL a Royal Rumble victory on January 27, 2024.
