WWE: Now that she’s on her own what’s next for Ruby Riott?

Ruby Riott was the most glaring absence after WWE revealed all of the participants for the 2019 women’s Money in the Bank ladder match this week.

The Riott Squad were one of the most unfortunate casualties following this year’s Superstar Shake-up. WWE unceremoniously moved Liv Morgan to SmackDown, breaking the stable up off-air. Since Ruby Riott has been noticeably missing from television.

Fans were hopeful that the split meant Riott would make a bigger splash as a singles competitor, so it’s disappointing that she was left out of the Money in the Bank match. She could definitely use a fresh start. A solid outing, or even a win, could’ve been the break she needed.

In retrospect, Riott has been on a steady decline since the controversial program with Natalya leading up to TLC 2018. Angles involving a dead family member are always tricky, for a lack of a better word. Those kinds of lazy attempts to generate heat seem so outdated.

The promos where Riott mocked Natalya’s relationship with the late Jimmy “the Anvil” Neidhart felt like a disservice to both women. Even worse, it painted the creative staff into a corner.

Ruby Riott couldn’t possibly come out on top after she went stoop so low to torment her opponent. Additionally, it proved difficult to build the Riott Squad back up after Nattie single-handedly disposed of all three of them.

The whole sorted affair left the trio in need of a win to re-establish themselves as effective adversaries. Sadly, they never really recovered and their showing at Elimination Chamber was the veritable nail in the coffin.

Morgan and Sarah Logan lost the six-team Women’s Tag Team Championship match. Even more, Ronda Rousey submitted Ruby in less than two minutes later that night. It was frustrating to watch. This was the “Punk Rock Ragdoll’s” first title shot since her clash with Charlotte at Fastlane. A strong performance would’ve at least given her some momentum.

The rest of the year has been forgettable for Riott and her stablemates. It’s hard to admit it, but for those reasons, WWE may have been right to split them up. They had so much potential together, and there are even more possibilities for Ruby Riott as a solo act.

They could easily turn her face because she was so entertaining on NXT.  She has such a distinct look, so she already stands out on a crowded roster of talented women. Given the right material, she could be just as relatable as Paige or AJ Lee were to some fans.

Even if she keeps working as a heel, this is the perfect time for her to thrive on Raw. There aren’t many interesting antagonists on the brand. As a matter of fact, there are only two heels in the Money in the Bank match this year—Alexa Bliss and Mandy Rose. Another reason Riott should’ve been one of the participants.

For now, it seems like there aren’t any plans for her, which is a shame.  Hopefully, the company finds a way to utilize her soon. There is a void on the Raw women’s roster. This could be a great time to build up a new star, who can fill it.