It’s been almost 10 years since Bayley signed her contract with WWE.
Since then, she has held almost every WWE Women’s Championship belt, but will now challenge Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair in a Last Woman Standing match as part of Crown Jewel, taking place at Mrsool Park in Riyadh on Saturday. It’s the first time a women’s match with such a stipulation will take place in Saudi Arabia.
Bayley says she’s excited to return to the kingdom after remembering how well received her match against Naomi was at Super ShowDown in February 2020.
“The first time, I wasn't really sure how much the fans actually knew us or how much they watched the product,” she tells The National. “I was pleasantly surprised that they had signs with our names on and were super into the match. So I'm looking forward to that, to see how much it's grown since the last time I was here.”
The journey from the US to Saudi Arabia can often be challenging because of the time zone differences and long-haul flights, however, she says she’s learnt the key to overcoming jetlag is “sleeping a lot” on the way over. She also tries to adapt to the time zone of her whereabouts — something she’s adapted to having spent much of her career on the road.
And while things may feel fast-paced now, it'll surely be something Bayley is welcoming, having recently recovered from a torn ACL, which she sustained during training. The knee injury kept her from programming for almost a year, until she returned for Summerslam in late July.
But she says she is grateful for the downtime it allowed her, and that it helped her realise the need to be more protective of her body.
“It was a very humbling experience because I've never had surgery. I've never been away from wrestling aside for maybe a couple months for a shoulder injury. But it was super-humbling because my body wasn't as strong as I thought it would be,” she says.
“I really did enjoy the time off and because it's been almost nine or 10 years since I've had any time off with this WWE schedule as a performer. So I enjoyed it as much as I could with my family and my friends and just tried to see the plus side of it.”
Although now she’s back to being on television, teaming up with returning stars Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky at Summerslam to form a new villainous stable called Damage Ctrl. Kai and Sky compete as a tag team, while Bayley is the leader of the group. They’ve already won and lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship since returning.
“I feel like Dakota, Iyo and I haven't really been able to slow down at all. We’ve just kind of been thrown right into it. We've been on Raw and SmackDown and we've been on the pay-per-views and travelling everywhere and just non-stop, so it's been amazing, but it's also super-new to them because they're not used to this road life,” she says.
While NXT is filmed weekly in the same venue in Florida and helps to develop wrestlers for Raw and SmackDown, the last two take place in different cities each week, which can lead to a gruelling on-the-road schedule. "I've just been happy to travel again and be around all the people I love to work with," Bayley says. "It's like a new kind of company in a way just having Triple H as our boss and having Stephanie [McMahon] around, so it's a little bit of a new learning experience.”
In June, the WWE underwent a major leadership change after long-time chief executive and chairman Vince McMahon retired amid an internal investigation. His daughter, Stephanie, was promoted to chairwoman and co-chief executive while his son-in-law, Paul Levesque, formerly known as wrestler Triple H, took control of the creative side of the business as chief content officer.
Bayley doesn’t hold back her praise when it comes to being reunited with Levesque, whom she worked with during her days in NXT. Working with him “is the best”, she says, as he knows what people are capable of and what their goals are.
“He’s super-easy to talk to and to just have a conversation with whenever you feel the need to. You can always reach out to him or he's always around. It’s super-easy to see where you want to go with stories, careers or within the show or even within the next month.”
Bayley says she is excited by the growing women’s division, especially knowing that Levesque is there to help guide them, and commends him for bringing back female talent who “deserve a little bit more of a spotlight or deserve another chance.”
“It just shows me that we're going in the right direction. We're just going to keep growing bigger and bigger and just continue to be the best women's division in all of sport.”
Bayley's decade-long stint with WWE has been quite the journey, she says, but her ultimate goal is to one day headline WrestleMania, although she'd also love to help mentor the next generation of female wrestlers in NXT.
“I have a very strong interest in a lot of the girls in NXT and I would just want to see them keep getting opportunities and continuing to come up here and being able to contribute to what we already have as a stack division.”
She cites Indi Hartwell, Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez as some of the NXT wrestlers who have impressed her. But it’s former NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura whom she would love to have a dream match with, calling her “incredible” and “a legend.”
As she looks back on the first decade of her career, she says it’s been a whirlwind adventure, but one she’s been very happy with.
“It’s not what I expected it to be but in the best way," she says. "I can't believe I've been here this long. I remember my first month I thought I was not going to be able to handle it because it's just not what I expected. But now it's even better.
“I have life-long friendships. I can talk to people I meet on the streets about places I've travelled to because of wrestling and things that I've got to see and experience. For me personally, to continue to keep doing things that are brand-new to me, to be able to evolve and grow after being here for almost 10 years, I’m proud of myself for that.”
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
EVIL%20DEAD%20RISE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELee%20Cronin%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlyssa%20Sutherland%2C%20Morgan%20Davies%2C%20Lily%20Sullivan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
RACE CARD
4pm Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m
5.10pm Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m