Maxxine Dupri had a career-defining moment on the November 17 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw. Not only did she capture the WWE Women's intercontinental Championship, she did so by defeating Becky Lynch. That moment would have never come if it wasn't for Becky Lynch carrying that title and building it into the belt the women's division needed it to be. She made that title, and proved that a women's midcard championship can be booked correctly.
The WWE Women's United States Championship and Women's Intercontinental Championship have seen different trajectories. The Women's US title is now back around the waist of Chelsea Green after an abysmal run with Giulia. Before that, Zelina Vega had the championship after taking it from Green. None of these women were positioned as important performers. So much so, that the title has not shown up on a PLE.
The Women's Intercontinental Championship is something different though. Becky Lynch returning and making Lyra Valkyria her target kicked off one of the most interesting feuds in the promotion this year. It made sense to put the tite on Lynch and use her starpower to elevate the belt, which is exactly what she did. Without Lynch capturing that championship, there's no chance that Dupri finds herself in the position that she's in today. That title may not have even shown up on the Madison Square Garden Show.
WWE can't allow this momentum to drag to a halt now that the championship is with Maxxine Dupri. If the creative team slacks on her title run, it will prove the point from critics that WWE truly doesn't have any intention to build the division beyond the few names at the top. The treatment the United States title is getting doesn't help push back against that idea in any way. This isn't the case in the men's division. Ilja Dragunov is killing it on WWE SmackDown as the US Champion, and the IC title is on the biggest star in the business, John Cena, after a successful run with Dominick Mysterio. Applying that same energy to the women's division goes a long way, as was seen with Becky Lynch's run and eventual loss to Maxxine Dupri.
WWE has too much talent in the women's division to treat this division the way it has for years. Introducing the midcard titles was a gimmer of hope that things would improve, but that does not seem to be the case so far. Becky Lynch's run and building Maxxine Dupri gives fans and the women's roster hope, but do not put all your faith into WWE keeping that momentum going.