WWE Raw: Let’s give Ruby Riott and Natalya their due
Natalya and Ruby Riott will square off in a Tables match at TLC, and all the credit goes to both WWE Raw superstars for making this a match worth investing in, despite the record-low ratings on Monday Night Raw.
For years, Natalya has been a workhorse in WWE, steadily gaining the utmost respect of both her peers in the locker room and the fans in the crowd. She won the SmackDown Women’s Championship in “feel-good” fashion at SummerSlam last year – though she was the heel in her match with Naomi – producing some fine work as a paranoid, heel champion with Charlotte Flair baring down on her.
But her current work on WWE Raw in a rivalry with Ruby Riott may just be her best, especially as a babyface. Ruby has proven to be an excellent foil to any babyface on the roster, as the Riott Squad have helped Ronda Rousey and the Boss and Hug Connection (though Sasha Banks and Bayley only needed a “slight nudge” in that department, given their popularity) gain sympathy.
Natalya and Ruby Riott haven’t been fighting for a title, but they will still have a place on the TLC card. Since WWE moved to dual Pay Per Views, we haven’t seen a non-title singles match between two women on the main card.
That should change at TLC, with Riott and Natalya fighting in an emotional Tables match. The feud has been uncomfortable, based around the death of Natalya’s father – and WWE legend – Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart.
Ruby Riott has broken Jim Neidhart’s glasses, printed an image of him on a table that she says will be used at TLC, assaulted Nattie, and insulted both Nattie and her family name in the most despicable of ways.
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Again, this feud has been incredibly uncomfortable, and fans who are iffy about WWE using Neidhart’s death to advance this feud are within their right to complain. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Ruby and Natalya have done a fantastic job as on-screen characters, advancing this feud and actually using the heat to create a PPV-worthy match for the women’s division – one carrying a stipulation that will actually add to the match on Sunday.
Their segment on the recent episode of WWE Raw was a prime example of how they’ve created the perfect dynamic here. Natalya’s heartfelt promo was one of her career highlights. The entire crowd bought into what she was saying, as they could feel her pain and believe her determination to beat the living hell out of Ruby in a Tables match.
And when Ruby came out, using her grating mocking voice, the fans couldn’t hate her enough. She unveiled a table with Jim Neidhart’s image printed on it, proclaiming that at TLC, when Ruby puts Nattie through this table, she will bring her and her father “closer than ever”. The line, while vile, was memorable, and casting judgment about the feud aside, it couldn’t have been delivered any better – or more callously – by Riott.
The Riott Squad has been one of the breakout acts on the WWE roster this year, and Ruby is at the heart of their success as the leader. She does such a fantastic job of cutting promos that put the focus on the babyface, directing the crowds hopes towards the babyface’s ability to knock her smugness down a peg.
Lately, Riott has been more than just a capable in-ring worker with a conceited attitude. With the way she has tormented Natalya, she’s looked like a threat, because while Natalya rolled her up in a singles match and is positioned as the superior competitor due to her technical wrestling ability (plus her experience advantage), the fans can’t help but wonder if a Tables match favors Ruby. She has the toughness, the resourcefulness, the swagger, and the talent to defeat Nattie, whose ability to fend off the numbers advantage could end Sunday.
No matter the outcome, Natalya and Ruby Riott have made fans care about a match at TLC that was among the later announcements. They’ve generated reactions in the arena and on social media for their match itself and not just the way WWE have chosen to build this easy-to-read heel/face feud. That’s impressive, and it speaks to both Ruby’s emerging talent as a heel and Natalya’s versatility as an experienced wrestler.
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As hard as this feud has been to watch, I’m assuming Natalya gave WWE the proverbial green light to do this, and the outcome has been a rivalry that will be considered one of the most important stories of either’s careers. It’s obviously a meaningful story to Natalya, but this rivalry is also helping the WWE Universe see just how talented Ruby can be as a remorseless villain who does more than just “riott” backstage.