Will WWE finally put its faith in Nia Jax as champion of the Raw women’s division?
There has been yet another push by the company to put Jax over as a force in what has become a strong division on the Monday night scene.
Jax’s recent program with Asuka has made both competitors look strong in the ring. WWE has done the right thing to book Jax as the woman still reaching for the brass ring, but has softened her character, drawing sympathy from the fans. She is a fringe babyface.
Since no decision has been made by WWE with regard to Asuka and her title match at WrestleMania 34, does Jax somehow earn a shot at gold?
The company has done a good job at building Braun Strowman up as the future beast of the red brand. Could the same thing be in the works for Jax? While she is booked in squash matches where her dominance is realistic, I’ve taken issue with the fact that she has continually lost to the company’s upper echelon or female wrestlers. The current storyline, although she is still losing matches, has made her look as dominant as she has ever looked since joining the main roster from NXT.
WWE struck gold with the “Monster Among Men,” as Strowman has become the alternative to Brock Lesnar’s part time schedule and the fans’ distain for Roman Reigns. It’s going to take one hell of a push to put the women’s division’s biggest and baddest performer over the likes of Sasha Banks, Bayley and the current champion Alexa Bliss.
Slowly, WWE is peeling away the onion, which has made Jax a more believable character. Last week’s segment where Bliss talks down to her, insulting her “friend” is just the beginning of something bigger and better. No pun intended.
There is one month until the “show of shows” in New Orleans. A Raw women’s title match must be determined. I suspect one of two things will happen. Either the company will book a triple threat match between Jax, Asuka, and Bliss or a storyline will develop where Asuka will move over to Tuesday nights and challenge Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown women’s title. Both will provide enough interest to keep both women’s divisions in WWE relevant through the summer months.
Now, the company must decide what it wants to do with its newest “hot topic“ performer. Some people argue that softening Jax’s character hurts her believability in the ring. I for one believe the opposite. Professional wrestlers should be dynamic in the ring, delivering promos, and should identify with their fan base. It’s taken a while for Jax to do that. But now, we see the future of her character, and if she is booked continually as the dominant figure that she is, WWE has finally struck gold with a performer who took a little bit longer to develop then some may have thought.