Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Greg Coleman and Robert DeFelice discuss the current state of WWE's women's division.
WWE's women's division is currently in a peculiar situation, as they have a litany of talented women, but not a lot to show for them. Who is on the rise, and what exactly will happen to the WOmen's Tag Team Championship tournament?
Question 1: Will the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament ever actually start? Should the belts just be dropped?
ALLSOPP: I’d be surprised if the tournament ever happens. Not only do those titles mean nothing, but there’s not even a suitable field of teams to populate the damn thing. This makes Sasha Banks and Naomi’s decision to quit more reasonable by the day, which ultimately means these belts should be dropped. It’s nothing but an unnecessary weight around the neck of the women’s division.
COLEMAN: HELL NO! The fact that they announced it after attempting to character assassinate Sasha Banks and Naomi, to then never mention it after the initial announcement shows just how right both women were about how little WWE leadership cared about the Women’s Tag Team Championship. The belts should be dropped and re-fashioned into a SmackDown and Raw secondary women’s title. That will be a much better option for the WWE Women’s division going forward.
DeFELICE: I don't think it's going to start and, very unpopular opinion incoming, I do feel like they should be dropped. From the moment that Sasha Banks and Bayley lost the titles 3 years ago, they have proved that they have no idea what they want to do with them. So, unless they have The Bella Twins lined up, I don't see those belts coming back.
Question 2: Who is the most spectacular woman in the women’s division at the moment? Has anyone been a particular disappointment as of late?
COLEMAN: Bianca Belair, and it’s not close. An argument can be made that Belair is currently the best wrestler in all of WWE. As far as disappointments go, I’m not disappointed in any particular woman because I know WWE only cares about 5-6 of them, but I am disappointed that Asuka hasn’t done more. I don’t believe she should be champion, but I would like to see her at least be in a position to have a program with the champion on either show.
DeFELICE: I want to give Liv Morgan her flowers while we still can. The WWE Universe genuinely loves her and even though she may not have the star quality of a Charlotte Flair or Sasha Banks right now, she has something else, as she is able to connect with the spirit of the day and I think that if they do it right, they could have a major star on their hands. Of course, we should also give credit to Bianca Belair who has really become the woman on the roster and completely carries the weight of those responsibilities flawlessly.
ALLSOPP: I have to mention the lack of Io Shirai on NXT 2.0. I genuinely consider her to be the most talented wrestler in WWE, but the lack of screen time for her is a huge disappointment. In terms of actual disappointment, I’m going to call out Rhea Ripley, who is just not clicking for me at the moment. Judgment Day was a bad idea, and she hasn’t been able to show how talented she is. A Shirai vs Ripley feud would be money!
Question 3: Which current women’s star in NXT 2.0 has the best potential career trajectory for the next five years? Is there a glaring issue with NXT 2.0’s treatment of it’s women’s division?
DeFELICE: I feel like some of the momentum around Nikkita Lyons has stalled following her injury but, I still believe that she can be positioned as a major star. I also believe that Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez can potentially be Bayley and Sasha Banks for the next generation, inspiring young women and people around the world to follow their dreams. I also want to give a shout out to Lash Legend, as I believe that if she can find herself inside the ropes, she has an indelible star quality to her.
Obviously, we must also be on the lookout for Ava Raine, Simone Johnson. I'm sure that, when it's time, the rocket will be strapped to her boots. I can't wait to see what becomes of all of these women.
ALLSOPP: The former Kay Lee Ray is an option, no matter how much I despise the Alba Fyre name. But for me, I can’t look past Gigi Dolin. She is attractive, a solid wrestler, and has a great persona. All of the tangibles she needs to succeed on the main roster. My concern is how poorly NXT 2.0 has presented the women’s division, as it has robbed the brand of any real momentum.
COLEMAN: Nikkita Lyons would be the obvious pick, but I believe it’s actually Mandy Rose. She has developed immensely as a character since returning to NXT, and with Sasha Banks seemingly out and Ronda Rousey always being a question mark in how long she will stay around, I could see Rose moving back to the main roster and being in the mix with Asuka, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, and Alexa Bliss especially if Toxic Attraction comes with her.
The biggest issue I have with the women’s division in NXT 2.0 is that they haven’t given me anyone to really invest in or care about. When Asuka was the NXT Women’s Champion, people cared. When Shayna Baszler was champion, people cared. When Flair, Banks, and Bayley were all champions, people cared. NXT 2.0 hasn’t really built up that woman or those women for the fans to want to invest in. They are starting to do so now with Roxanne Perez and Lyons, but outside of those two, just not a whole lot of care.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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