At WWE Survivor Series 2017, the SmackDown Live women’s division has the unenviable task of going up against a five-woman team that is led by Nia Jax and Asuka.
The SmackDown Live women’s team at Survivor Series lost one of it members on Tuesday night, as Charlotte Flair defeated Natalya with the “Figure Eight” in her hometown to capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship for the first time. It was a long road to victory for Charlotte, who initially vied for the title in a feud with Naomi but was interrupted by the “Welcoming Committee”, led by Natalya.
Last year, Natalya found her way onto the SmackDown Live Survivor Series team by beating up captain Nikki Bella backstage. The “coach” of the team then feuded with Nikki after Survivor Series, finally winning in a hellacious Falls-Count-Anywhere match.
Natalya has been a staple in the SmackDown Women’s Division since defeating Nikki Bella in that match, and the highlight was her title reign, which began at SummerSlam with a win over Naomi. With Charlotte now out of the picture and set to face Alexa Bliss at Survivor Series, the smart money is on Natalya being the fifth member of Team SmackDown.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer News, Natalya is indeed the planned fifth member of Team SmackDown (hat tip SEScoops.com).
That may sound like a boring plan, but it would be weird to watch a Survivor Series without Natalya somewhere in there. She’s been a fixture in the women’s division and is in the midst of some her best work as a heel. Natalya has been consistently excellent, elevating everyone else in the ring, getting babyfaces over, and providing some increasingly entertaining character work.
However, fans are buzzing about Paige’s potential return, and the WWE could really give fans a surprise by having Nikki Bella get some sweet, sweet revenge on Natalya for last year’s backstage attack before the five-on-five match.
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If the fifth member does end up being Natalya, nobody can complain, though it is admittedly the “safe” option.