WWE wrestler Bayley will be sidelined for approximately nine months due to an injury, the company announced Friday.
The promotion said that Bayley (real name Pamela Martinez, 32) was injured while training. She had been scheduled to face SmackDown women’s champion Bianca Belair in an “I Quit” match at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Belair’s new opponent will be announced Friday night on SmackDown, WWE said.
Bayley and Belair had been engaged in a months-long feud that began just after Belair won the title at WrestleMania in April. Belair was victorious in their match at Backlash and defeated Bayley again last month at Hell in a Cell.
Bayley was one of WWE’s most important performers during the company’s run of empty-arena shows. Her new heel character helped add intrigue to the women’s division as Raw and SmackDown languished without the presence of live crowds.
“I’m very proud of the past year,” Bayley told Sports Illustrated in May, referring to her new character. “I believed I could I do it, and I knew I had so much more to give. I took that Bayley around the world and did all I could do, giving my heart to the fans, but it was time for a change. I have a lot of freedom, and I’m really grateful that WWE, the writers and Vince [McMahon] have given me the platform to let me be me.”
