Nia Jax may be a bit frustrated with how WWE has booked her on Monday Nights. The new bully on the block on Monday nights took to her Twitter account to praise SmackDown Live and how the blue brand will use all of the women on the roster as part of the Money in the Bank ladder match at the upcoming pay-per-view.
That tweet has since been removed from Jax’s account. But the message cannot be much clearer – the way she has been booked hasn’t helped her climb the mountain toward the Raw Women’s Title. Now, it would appear she will play second fiddle to the current Raw Women’s Champion, Alexa Bliss, at Extreme Rules while the titleholder faces Bayley in a Kendo Stick match.
Jax may have been rushed to the main roster a bit too soon. Much like Samoa Joe, it appears WWE has some issues trying to decide what to do with the performer. Jax (whom I love) is a matchup issue for the division. Braun Strowman presents the same kind of issues – but since he is on the shelf for six months with an injury, WWE can focus on other wrestlers and how to properly sell them to the audiences on a weekly basis.
Jax is handicapped because of her size and the depth of Monday nights. Given that Sasha Banks is now fourth on the list of potential contenders for Bliss’s belt is all you need to know how many issues there are with booking. Bayley may be challenging to recapture her belt, but she looks weak doing it. Mickie James is still a star in the ring. Banks is there, but she is battling Alicia Fox.
Excuse me?
Jax may not have been speaking just for herself in the missing tweet. WWE did a good job of turning the tide of the women’s divisions – giving the red team a decided advantage with addition by subtraction (Charlotte moving to SmackDown Live). But while the company wants to push Strowman to the top as the biggest and baddest man on the planet, the same cannot be said for Jax.
Jax is still very much green who wins over top talent, but won’t get the push she deserves. While she beat Bayley and Banks in the past couple of months, she is still standing behind Bliss. Does this lead to a face turn and a title match? I hope so. Her point was well-taken – that SmackDown Live, even with chaos, is still getting it right.
If WWE were to write a script something like Batista and Triple H from years past, it makes more sense. But in the end, the same issues will exist. Strowman has Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar who physically match up with the big man. Charlotte and Tamina would be solid opponents for Jax, but they play on the other team.
After Extreme Rules, fans should play close attention to how WWE books Jax. Her time is coming. She isn’t there yet, but it will be. My fear is the company changes part of her persona, which is what makes her perfect for this division. Letting her continue to do what she does will be the best thing for her, regardless if it’s the best thing for WWE.