On the Spot With: Bayley

On the Spot With: Bayley

- George Tahinos

Starting her professional career in 2008 at age 18, it wasn’t long, four years to be precise, before Bayley, real name Pamela Rose Martinez was snapped up by WWE. The company immediately slotted her onto their NXT brand, debuting in early 2013 under a mask. Since then, the 27 year old has been riding a wave of momentum and gained a legion of dedicated fans along the way.

Some iconic battles with Sasha Banks and more recently Asuka saw the former NXT women’s champion gain a call-up to WWE’s Raw brand in July.

Total Wrestling managed to catch up with Bayley amidst a busy UK tour to ask her about women’s wrestling, how things have changed in her life since being called up to Raw and advice for youngsters looking to become a professional wrestler.

Total Wrestling: It’s been a long process with you getting onto the main roster. How are you finding it?

Bayley: It’s tough but it’s all worth it. It’s been a long road for me coming from NXT. I’ve been with NXT for almost four years, and just getting to WWE and now being able to travel with them; I kind of have to make new friends and get hotel rooms, and travel in different cities every single night. It’s very different, but it’s so much fun. All the hard work that I had with NXT has prepared me for this.

Were there any points you got really frustrated waiting to be called up and it just wasn’t happening?

There were times yes, but I think I was very lucky to be there. Even when Sasha [Banks], Charlotte [Flair] and Becky [Lynch] were called to WWE, and I spent another year there, I think looking back now I had learned the most because I was really on my own and then having to work with all sorts of different levels of women, it kind of groomed me to this.