Bayley Taunts Nemesis Michael Cole After Being Drafted To WWE SmackDown

Long-term professional wrestling rivalries that reoccur over multiple years are far from a new phenomenon in the industry. However, WWE star Bayley is one of only a handful of wrestlers to have one of those long-term "rivalries" with a commentator, as she reminded fans that her feud with WWE SmackDown announcer Michael Cole is far from over.

Following the news that she and Damage CTRL would be moving to "SmackDown" as a part of the first day of the 2023 WWE Draft, Bayley took to Twitter to give her reaction to the news. "Fell asleep in Ireland, woke up on #SmackDown." Bayley tweeted, referencing this week's European tour that many of the "RAW" wrestlers have taken part in. "Looks like @MichaelCole finally had his prayers answered," Bayley concluded sarcastically.

While the comical feud between Bayley and Michael Cole first started brewing when Cole became critical of the WWE star following her heel turn in 2019, it wasn't until mid-2020 that Bayley, alongside Sasha Banks, began firing back at Cole during the Thunderdome era of "WWE Smackdown." During this time, Bayley would antagonize Cole each week, playing practical jokes on him, such as shaving his name in the back of her head at the 2021 WWE Royal Rumble event without his knowledge.

Even after her ACL injury in July 2021 and subsequent return to "WWE RAW" following SummerSlam 2022, Bayley continued to be Cole's biggest hater. Last December, the Damage CTRL leader wished for Cole to have a terrible holiday season, and two months later, she challenged the announcer to a match at WrestleMania 39. While Bayley has been forced to antagonize the commentary veteran from afar, her impending return to the blue brand could be Cole's worst nightmare coming to life on Friday nights.