WWE: 3 reasons why Rhea Ripley should win the NXT Women’s Title

Baszler needs new scenery

Since debuting in the first Mae Young Classic, Baszler has put on one great performance after the other and has placed herself towards the top of the list of the greatest competitors in the black and yellow brand’s history.

To date, Baszler is not only the sole two-time Women’s Champion since the title’s inception but is currently the longest reigning champion regardless of brand in WWE, winning the title back at Evolution last October.

Over the course of the former mixed martial artist’s fourteen months as NXT Women’s Champion, Kairi Sane, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai, Mia Yim, Candice LeRae have all been bested. Considering the number of transitions that have been made to Raw or SmackDown in the last couple of years, Baszler has remained one of the only constants. With that said, it’s time for her to move to one of those brands.

Baszler has ticked every box possible during her time in NXT. Record-setting champion? She’s done it. First-ever Women’s WarGames? She’s done it. Pay-per-view main events? She’s done it. The lead-up to Survivor Series proved that Baszler can more than hold her own regardless of whether she shows up on Raw, NXT or SmackDown.

NXT has proven over the last couple of months that it can function for a fresh talent to develop their skills, an underutilized talent to get a new start and a place where wrestlers can spend their career. There are cases such as Baszler’s where someone has done all they can possibly do on one brand and would be best served starting new somewhere else (i.e. AJ Styles and SmackDown).

Keeping in mind her interactions with Bayley and Becky Lynch, there’s a ready-made rivalry or even a potential Rumble victory for Baszler in the event that she jumps to Raw or SmackDown but losing the NXT Women’s Championship is essential for that to happen.