The first WWE show with no crowd took place on March 13, 2020 at the WWE Performance Center. The first match featured Bayley teaming with Sasha Banks to face Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.
One year later, Bayley has been one of the standout performers in the empty area era, using the environment to her advantage.
"I was having trouble trying to make fans believe that this is me now," said Bayley on WWE After The Bell. "I was Bayley with a ponytail and hugger for so long that it was hard for them to see me as a different character. They had a weird not reacting, don't believe it (reaction). When we got to the [Performance Center], I thought it was going to be a one-night thing and the more we did it without fans, I was like, 'You know, I don't have to worry about them, I can just play off my opponent, my tag partner [Sasha Banks], what else can I do?' I could be loud and hear an echo in the PC and I thought it was hilarious. Now that I realize I can hear Graves and Cole on commentary, I'm like, 'If I can hear them, the fans can hear them.' Now, our only fan interaction is through the internet and they thought it was funny, so the more I did it, the more I had fun with it and that's what helped me find what kind of annoying bad guy I wanted to be and that's who I am, personally. With my friends, I'm the annoying person who pushes too many buttons and goes too far. Every opponent added a different layer to me."
Elsewhere during the interview, Bayley discussed how Ding Dong, Hello and other talking segments helped her grow as a character. You can find her full comments by clicking here.
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