WWE: Alexa Bliss is slowly pushing Nikki Cross to her breaking point

By Patches Chance | Jun 12, 2019

Credit: WWE.com /

WWE has its fair share of issues right now, but there are still things being done right. The slow build of tensions between Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss is quietly one of the best built stories in the entire company, and it’ll be worth the wait.

There was understandably a lot of confusion amongst fans when Nikki Cross made a recent character shift on WWE Raw. After being built up in NXT as this chaotic and unpredictable figure, she suddenly paired up with Alexa Bliss because she’d simply been looking for a friend.

At first, it seemed an odd decision. Alexa Bliss has easily been one of WWE‘s best female heels in recent years, and her friendships never seem to end well for the friends. As happy as I was to see Nikki Cross actually getting television time on a weekly basis, things felt a bit forced.

While her chaotic nature was certainly something that endeared Cross to fans, it wasn’t the sole factor for her NXT success. One of the difficult to define aspects of success in a world like NXT is feeling relatable to fans. It also leads a character having passionate fans who will continue to support them far into their career.

Look no further than someone like Bayley, now the SmackDown Women’s Champion. Despite haphazard booking by management, Bayley has remained a crowd favorite. The authenticity with which she talks about her love of wrestling and childhood dreams coming true helps fans connect with her.

Nikki Cross, even if her smallest or most simple moments on NXT, felt authentically out of control. It wasn’t that she was uncontrollable, but rather she was appealing to the impulsiveness that we all have inside ourselves.

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Nikki Cross was unapologetically herself, and it helped fans become invested in everything she did. Once moved to the main roster, Cross seemed in a familiar position for NXT call-ups. She was simply existing while awaiting direction.

In what looks to be one of WWE’s best writing moves lately, someone had the forethought to simply ask why Nikki Cross is the way she is. What turned this woman into such a chaotic and unhinged personality? Rather than trying to force it, WWE looks like they intend to create that reason.

As mentioned before, Alexa Bliss has a history of friendships ending badly. This looks to be on the path for a similar ending, but it may mean more this time than it has in quite a while.

Nikki Cross is choosing to be vulnerable. She’s taking a risk by opening herself up to Alexa Bliss, and she’s doing it because she needs a friend. Nikki needs someone she can trust.

It’s not difficult to already see the ways that Alexa Bliss is looking to manipulate and control Nikki Cross for her own benefit. Just this week on SmackDown, Bliss came to Cross and explained Bayley had liked some tweets saying negative things about Cross.

To explain why she had no proof of this, Bliss showed that she had blocked Bayley and couldn’t look up the tweets. Nikki Cross, having no reason thus far to believe otherwise, trusted the word of her friend.

Keep in mind that Alexa Bliss will challenge Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WWE Stomping Grounds in less than two weeks. Bliss was hoping to push Nikki Cross far enough for her to hurt or even injure Bayley, giving Bliss an advantage in her match at WWE Stomping Grounds.

As Alexa Bliss continues to manipulate her, Nikki’s trust and kindness will only go so far. Once Cross realizes she’s been betrayed and used, it will push her to once again become the unhinged and unpredictable Nikki Cross we loved in NXT.

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Seeing someone so authentically kind just looking for a friend be used like that will endear fans to Nikki Cross even more while continuing to make Alexa Bliss look like the despicable and manipulative heel we love to hate.

Just give it time. For once, WWE seems to know exactly what they’re doing. It’ll be worth the wait.