WWE is back with another edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 25. One of the featured contests pits Nia Jax against Rhea Ripley in a bid to take the latter’s WWE Women’s World Championship. It’s a match that’s caused a lot of people to roll their eyes, because once again WWE is running back a rematch in the women’s division. With a roster as packed as this one, this is a clear indication that WWE has not done enough to refresh the group and make more contenders. It’s a problem that must be addressed in 2025.
While Nia Jax has put together an enjoyable run since her return to WWE, fans are still puzzled as to why she’s went from one title picture, immediately to another. Tiffany Stratton cashed in on Jax on January 3 and three weeks later Jax is getting a shot at the other main roster strap. Not only that, but she had to jump shows to do so, suddenly leaving SmackDown due to the “transfer window.”
What does this say about the women’s division on Monday Night Raw? Nothing good. This is a division that features talented performers like Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane, Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, Zelina Vega and more. WWE Creative could have gone to any of those performers to slot them into a position for a big match at SNME. Even Raquel Rodriguez, who has taken a title off Ripley in the past, could have worked in a match on Saturday. Yet, WWE went back to its old playbook out of what is being called laziness.
Then there’s the Ripley equation in this. She’s coming out of a feud with Liv Morgan that has lasted the better part of a year. While the two women, and Rodriguez to an extent, have years’ worth of history, the angle fixated around a man. This left a lot of fans wanting to see more for all parties involved. The second the angle ended, there was interest in what is next for Ripley. The answer? More of the same.
Hopefully, this is a holdover of a match until the 2025 Royal Rumble occurs in one week. That match is an opportunity for WWE to refresh its main roster picture for both SmackDown and Monday Night Raw. There’s speculation around big returns and surprise entrants joining the match, which if pulled off correctly can spark major interest in the future of the women’s division.
Rhea Ripley versus Nia Jax has the potential to be a fun match. However, it’s understandable why fans are groaning at having to sit through it once again when there are so many excellent performers available in the WWE Women’s Division.