NXT Women’s Title Tourney: Cases for and against the Final Four

Tiffany Stratton

Case For: If she isn’t there already, WWE is clearly grooming Tiffany Stratton for the top-heel spot in the NXT women’s division (and eventually, the main roster). Winning the NXT Women’s Title would solidify her status in that role.

Fans have raved about the former Olympic gymnast’s tremendous athleticism and potential as a worker, so putting the title on her seems like the next logical step. After all, NXT is a developmental show, so seeing how she handles the responsibility that comes with being the champion makes sense.

Case Against: Stratton has certainly shown flashes of brilliance in the ring, especially when she’s been paired with a superior opponent, but she has also shown that she has a long way to go before she’s classified as a “good” worker. By her own admission, she has plenty of things to work on. Additionally, her gimmick — which already straddles the good heat/go-away heat line — could become more annoying with more exposure.

Plus, WWE might not want to put fans through another long heel championship reign after booking Mandy Rose (who had a similar character to Stratton’s) to hold the gold for over a year. That’s probably a small concern for WWE, but when you have plenty of other good options, even the most granular nitpicks could impact big decisions like this.