WWE Raw: Let’s see Nikki Cross play with dual personas

Nikki Cross’s character was showcased with some peculiar range on Monday Night Raw, but perhaps there’s a space for her to embrace two personalities within one character.

You can tell when it’s a WWE television night as Wrestling Twitter lights up with commentary filled with insight on what people liked versus what they did not like. One of the topics discussed this week was the creative direction of one Nikki Cross. Before the night ended, the tone of the conversation quickly shifted from one direction to another, but what we witnessed created a potential opportunity for WWE Creative to do something special with the Glasgow native.

The talk around Cross began a few days ago as Ashly Nagrant covered in her piece calling for Cross’s gimmick to remain the same. When she appeared on WWE television last night, many fans of her work were confused and outright angry as she spoke coherently and was made up in a way that we’ve never seen before. The panic set in that perhaps WWE Creative was removing the main part of Cross’s character that made her stand out in a women’s division where diversity under the spotlight can be scarce.

Whether it was her post-match interview on WWE Main Event or her segment with Alexa Bliss – the fear set in that Cross was headed for a character change. But by the end of the night, it seemed that may not be the case and is perhaps an opening to something that will benefit Cross and help her continue to stand out from the pack.

Cross filled in for Bliss in the Fatal Four Way match and picked up a big win when she pinned former Women’s Champion, Natalya. But during the match, her mannerisms fit the character that we’d all grown to know and love. Screaming at the top of her lungs, beating her chest, terrifying her opponents; Cross was back to her old tricks. Wrestling Twitter was pleased and everyone can go to bed happy, right? Maybe, but what if WWE did something different with this character in the future that would benefit her in the long term.

Instead of doing away completely with either version of Cross, what if we saw an amalgamation of the two? Imagine a character that played nice with everyone backstage or in the ring, just to flip the switch and suddenly become the persona that stood out as a part of SAnity; terrifying everyone around her.

It’s clear that fans loved the gimmick that Cross built while on NXT and have opined to see that version of her brought to the main roster. When she was announced, it was disheartening to watch how under-utilized she was, but she continued to shine when the opportunity was pushed her way.

So, let’s talk the character development skills that Cross has shown to have; and build them with an unexpected twist. Let’s see what type of madness she could create acting “normal” with her colleagues for one moment – just to switch personalities and become their worst nightmare. In her article, Nagrant compared Cross to a reimagined Luna Vachon, which is a great comparison, but imagine if that character was built in with a bit of Mick Foley as well.

We all remember the “Four Faces of Foley,” in Mankind, Dude Love, Cactus Jack and Foley himself. That led to one of the biggest moments in his career – and in wrestling. Does Cross have the ability to take that angle, carve it into her own and create something special for the women’s division? Let’s hope we all get the opportunity to find out.