After taping the last matches in December for the end of NXT: Level Up, WWE announced the program that will be replacing it, WWE LFG, which stands for Legends and Future Greats, not the other thing. The program, which will air on A&E as part of an expanded partnership with WWE, is a competition-reality show, not unlike Tough Enough. But there are some key differences. WWE LFG will feature matches and behind-the-scenes footage that showcases a group of athletes competing to receive a contract to become a WWE superstar. One such athlete is Baylor University grad and WWE NIL recipient, Bayley Humphrey.
Who is Bayley Humphrey?
A native of Arizona, Bayley Humphrey was invited to join the WWE’s fourth NIL (Next in Line) class following a stellar and unmatched collegiate career in acrobatics and tumbling. A former artistic gymnast, Humphrey transitioned to acrobatic gymnastics during her senior year of high school. Ultimately, this led her to Baylor, where she graduated in 2024 as a four-time National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) national champion, three-time All-American, three-time NCATA Seven-Element Acro Champion, three-time Academic All-Big 12 At-Large First Team honoree. In 2024, Humphrey earned the NCATA Inversion Pyramid Championship and NCATA 450 Salto Toss Championship, and in 2023, received the NCATA Synchronized Pyramid Championship, bringing her individual titles to six in addition to the four national championships. On top of that, in 2022, Humphrey was named the specialist of the year.
Prior to her final meet, Bayley Humphrey expressed her thoughts on her collegiate career, expressing her pride in helping grow the sport of acrobatics and tumbling by competing “skills that nobody really has before, and I think that’s really cool because that just shows how much potential the sport has and that it’s not going to remain the same at all every year and that
“I’m really proud of helping grow the sport,” Humphrey said in an interview with the Baylor Lariat. “I’ve competed skills that nobody really has before, and I think that’s really cool, because that just shows how much potential the sport has and that it’s not going to remain the same at all every year and that it’s going to continue to grow and inspire more girls.”
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Her coach, Felicia Mulkey, who has helped lead Baylor to nine consecutive NCATA championships, echoed that sentiment, saying “Bayley honestly alone kind of changed the game…I think the sport as a whole, it kind of has grasped on to Bayley so she’s wonderful…she’s meant a lot to me, the team, and the sport as a whole.”
Changing the game is exactly what Bayley Humphrey will also look to do in pro wrestling. Now that she has graduated from Baylor with a degree in health science studies, Humphrey is embracing her chance to continue her athletic career in a different way, through WWE. On Tuesday night, prior to an episode of NXT, matches were taped for WWE LFG, where Humphrey made her debut. It was evident by the social media reaction and the live crowd, that fans were impressed by her presence and her ability, skills she’s picked up quickly after only having started training in November.
Bayley Humphrey is one of a handful of recent NIL athletes who have been training in the Performance Center and who are set to be part of this new WWE LFG show, which was announced to debut sometime in early 2025. Also featured in matches on Tuesday night were Dani Sekelsky, Humphrey’s opponent, Penina Tuilaepa, Sirena Linton, Drake Morreaux, and Chris Island. Lainey Reid, Kali Armstrong, Gigi Dolin, and Tatum Paxley also made appearances. Vic Joseph and Jeremy Borash were at the announce table.
A&E describes the show as one that “gives viewers an inside look at what it truly takes to make it in the WWE. Iconic WWE Legends such as Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Shawn Michaels and weekly regular coaches Undertaker, Booker T, Mickie James, and Bubba Ray Dudley mentor a new generation in weekly matches on their quest to become the next WWE Superstars.”
Featured Image, Credit: WWE/ A&E
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Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on Bayley Humphrey, WWE LFG, and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out WWE programming on Netflix (Raw), USA Network (SmackDown), CW (NXT), and Peacock (archives and premium live event streaming). You can follow WWE on social media and relive top moments on YouTube.
