The WWE Women’s Division has been turned upside down thanks to Paige and several NXT Women making their main roster debuts.
The WWE women’s division got a healthy injection of hungry and ready members from NXT this past week on both Raw and SmackDown. Since the return of Paige and the debuts of those such as Ruby Riott and Mandy Rose, rumors have been running wild as to what the bigger picture really is heading into WrestleMania season. If anything else, the debuts have got fans talking.
Speculation has reached a fever pitch with the success of the first Women’s Money in the Bank this year, in addition to the fact that more and more women have been main eventing Raw and SmackDown. More events could be on the horizon in 2018 – with six debuts and one return, events could escalate to a first women’s Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber. The writings are certainly on the wall given the past two weeks. Those rumors could very well just be hearsay, but with the attention that has been placed on the division the noise it’s been making doesn’t look to be quieting down anytime soon.
Paige is ready to kick ass and take names, judging from her explosive comeback last week on Raw. Her return was played out just the way it should have been. Because of her inactive role the last year in addition to her personal life being spilled out all over social media, the company needed to take care of Paige, storyline-wise, in the best way possible. Paige’s story will be of redemption and triumph, considering how she was down on her luck in her professional life. Best thing to do from here is move on and for Paige to make an impact in everything she does.
Having Paige as a heel is what she needed and the reasoning as to why she’s furious and has a support system in the newly named Absolution to fuel her purpose is actually ingenious. Of course Paige has all but been pushed to the side during her year-long plus absence. Now she will be making up for her lost time to which she has done a pretty good job in making her intentions clear thus far
Orchestrating a new women’s faction such as Absolution was something different for Paige, and one that many fans didn’t see coming. It may be odd considering the women Paige came with are Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose, who are polar opposites. But all three have one goal in mind to which that was evident on Raw. But was it the right choice? Only time and segment concentration can give us that answer. Deville and Rose support Paige’s cause and will stop at nothing to make sure Paige gets the recognition that she deserves.
On the SmackDown end, the questions of the odd trios continued with the debuts of Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, and Liv Morgan. Just like on Raw, they interrupted the women’s match in which they laid out both Natalya and Charlotte Flair. The attacks and debuts parallel each other, which is perhaps the biggest giveaway to a bigger picture heading into 2018. Whatever the reason may be for all of this to happen, one can’t deny that massive opportunities are definitely where the invasion is taking the women’s division.
For the Riott Squad, it seems that their purpose is to make a name for themselves. No one in the group has made previous WWE history. With the exception of Morgan, Riott and Logan were fresh faces in NXT. Logan was previously in the Mae Young Classic. For the Riott Squad it is a nothing to lose but everything to gain standpoint they are taking on. While the factions certainly parallel each other, perhaps it is coincidental after all considering that they are on different brands and Survivor Series has passed with the interbrand story.
In all honesty, the invasion is a great idea to fuel interest in the women’s division heading into 2018 and WrestleMania season. Again, with Paige playing the furious veteran is the best route the company could do with her in addition to going the route of the surprise element in the debuts of the NXT women. While the Riott Squad is wreaking havoc on the SmackDown brand, they have managed to take out Becky Lynch in the process.
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The cause of bigger things for the women’s division is here, but now it’s time for the effect to play out. Will the rumors eventually come to be true and will the company follow through on what could be a big promise? With the considerable attention both factions are receiving; don’t be surprised for another round of firsts for the Women’s Division.