Mercedes Moné has poured more fuel on the Bayley free-agency talk, posting an hourglass GIF on X shortly after Bayley appeared on the July 13 episode of RAW. The timing was not subtle, and fans immediately tied it to reporting that Bayley’s WWE contract is winding down.
Multiple outlets, including WrestleVotes/Fightful, have reported that Bayley’s deal is set to expire around the end of 2026, with no new agreement in place yet. WWE and TKO are said to be interested in keeping her, but there’s clear pull from the “C.E.O.”
Bayley’s Future in WWE
Bayley herself has hinted at the timeline. Speaking with Chris Van Vliet on the INSIGHT podcast last year, she said she had “a year and a half left” on her contract, a figure that lines up with a late-2026 expiration. She also suggested she had accomplished most of what she set out to do in WWE.
Moné, who wrestled as Sasha Banks before leaving WWE, has kept the storyline warm for weeks. After winning the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament at Forbidden Door, she shared a fan-made graphic imagining a match against Bayley, billed under Bayley’s old independent name Davina Rose, at WrestleDream in October.
The hourglass post is the latest beat in that campaign. Bayley appeared on RAW to set up a Saturday Night’s Main Event singles match with Lyra Valkyria, and Moné responded with the countdown imagery not long after.
The speculation has drawn in others. AEW commentator Jim Ross, who left WWE years ago, reportedly liked a post discussing a possible Bayley signing.
None of this confirms a jump. Free agency can be leverage as easily as an exit, and WWE frequently re-signs its top talent. What gives the tease grounding is that the contract window Moné keeps pointing at genuinely exists.