After a lengthy title reign of 416 days, Shayna Baszler had to admit defeat. During this week’s episode of NXT at Full Sail University, Baszler was defeated by none other than Rhea Ripley, who is now the NXT Women’s Champion.
Rhea Ripley – The Future Of Women’s Wrestling
Ripley’s win came as a surprise, mainly due to the length of time Shayna has kept the title. But when you look at it logically, the win was unavoidable. Ripley impressed during Survivor Series and has become a stern favorite in the women’s division.
Becoming the NXT Women’s Champion is the next logical step. It also gives Shayna the opportunity to move to the main roster.
The entire atmosphere changed at Full Sail University after Rhea’s win. Many superstars backstage came out to celebrate with her, which underlines just how important this moment is for the NXT women’s division.
How Her Win Could Change NXT’s Future Plans
Rhea’s win of the NXT Women’s Championship could have consequences for storylines in the nearby future. A couple of days ago, I projected possible entrants for the Royal Rumble in 2020. I also stated that Rhea Ripley could enter, and potentially win the entire thing if Ronda Rousey was not making a comeback. Her title win changes everything!
I could have seen Rhea go the main roster, but as she now has the NXT Women’s Championship, it is not going to happen anytime soon. It is unlikely for Shayna Baszler to take the title back, especially considering how the WWE has built Rhea. It’s more likely that Shayna Baszler will go to the main roster soon.
However, with the persistent rumours and potential return of Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler and her associates going to the main roster makes sense. It could potentially lead to a match at WrestleMania, featuring the four horsewomen of the WWE against the four horsewomen of the MMA.
Rhea Ripley’s Title Reign
Even though Rhea Ripley could make an appearance at the Royal Rumble, she is likely to remain NXT Champion for a long time to come. If Shayna heads to the main roster, then there is one woman at the moment who could realistically challenge her for the title, Io Shirai.
It is only a matter of time before Io Shirai captures the women’s title unless she goes up to the main roster in next year’s draft.
That being said, I don’t see Rhea giving up her championship any time soon. Beating Shayna Baszler is no easy feat and it is a clear sign that NXT is putting its trust in Ripley to lead the division.
There are many potential feuds for Rhea Ripley of which the most prominent is Io Shirai. It all depends on whether Ripley is meant to stay on NXT US. There is always a minuscule chance she could return to NXT UK. We’ll just have to watch and see.
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