Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are walking out of Lyon, France as the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. They defeated the Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) at Backlash which ends their reign at 99 days.
Quite possibly the biggEST storm to ever hit this division.
The end of the match had Belair save Cargill from a three count after Sane landed the InSane Elbow. Cargill fought off Asuka, and then counter a hurricanrana into Jaded on Sane. Belair hit the KOD on Asuka onto Sane and scored the pinfall victory by pinning Asuka.
This makes the first time that Belair has won the tag team titles in her WWE career. This is Cargill’s first overall title win since signing with the company.
Elsewhere on Backlash, Bayley retained the WWE Women’s Title in a Triple Threat that included Tiffany Stratton and Naomi.
The final moments of the match has Stratton land both Bayley and Naomi on the announce tables with a slingshot. Afterwards we saw Bayley and Naomi team up to hit a 3D on Stratton, which took her out of the match. Naomi had a cradle pin on Bayley, but Bayley reversed it and kept Naomi’s shoulders down for three to retain her title.
She was serenaded to the ring by the @WWEUniverse in Lyon… and she’s leaving with her championship in hand.
During the Backlash broadcast on May 4, four women’s first round qualifying matches were confirmed to start the Queen of the Ring tournament. They will take place this Monday on Raw. The finals are set to take place at the King and Queen of the Ring premium live event on May 25.
Who will seize their destiny and becoming the 2024 KING and QUEEN of the RING in WWE?
Commentary mentioned SmackDown will have their own first round matches and it will be announced later.
WWE has only previously crowned one woman as Queen of the Ring in the past and that was Zelina Vega. She went on to win the tag team titles with Carmella as Queen Zelina.
ALGEO: I’m gonna go on a limb here and say the Kabuki Warriors are going to take the win. Of course, Bianca and Jade are the odds-on favorite to win, but I think with Damage CTRL making the move to RAW a win will help build them as more of a threat. I rather not count Kairi and Asuka out, because they are without a doubt the best wrestlers on the roster and I’m willing to bet they have some tricks up their sleeve as well. Either outcome, I doubt we’ll see the end of both teams, at least for right now, and there’s a lot to cook here with these tag teams.
WINNERS: Kabuki Warriors
JOEY: You don’t have Bianca and Jade as your #1 draft picks respectively for the Smackdown brand and then have them lose the subsequent match. Plus personally, I’d like to see them tour the brands and work with talent across Raw, SD and NXT. Damage Control I’m sure will be a huge part of Raw going forward and don’t need the tag titles to make their presence known. I still think we have a little bit to go before the official implosion occurs but we should start seeing some cracks in the foundation soon.
WINNERS and NEW: Bianca & Jade
DAVID: Asuka and Kairi. The Kabuki Warriors desperately need a victory to remain credible, and while i’m sure the fanbase – and me included – would love to see Bianca and Jade win this match and the title, it wouldn’t make sense for them to be champions when Bianca would probably be more concerned about the Women’s Championship. Jade losing a match would for sure be controversial but there could always be a way for her to be protected – perhaps it’s Bianca who loses the match, which then causes friction between her and Jade over Bayley.
WINNERS: The Kabuki Warriors
NICK: I don’t think WWE will do some huge undefeated streak for Jade like AEW did, but I can’t see Jade losing her first big match. Especially not with Bianca by her side who rarely loses herself. I think Asuka may also be still dealing with a nagging injury that she’s been working through. I think Bianca and Jade will take the tag titles to new heights.
WINNERS: Jade and Bianca
WWE Women’s Championship
ALGEO: It honestly seems a little too early for Bayley to lose this title right now. With the draft just wrapping up, there’s a lot of potential to build a new Smackdown women’s division and Bayley is just the perfect champion to do so. As for Tiffany and Naomi, I’m sure they can do a lot with this feud going on right now outside of the title picture as well.
WINNER: Bayley
JOEY: Bayley just had her moment at Wrestlemania and while I don’t want to see a lengthy reign from her, I’d like the role model to hold onto the title a little bit longer before dropping it (though a surprise win from Naomi would get a pop out of me). Tiffy is poised for greatness, and under a different regime I’d be more apt to believe a surprise win for Stratton is in the cards but I can’t see Triple H doing Bayley like that. Plus I’d prefer if Jax was the next Women’s Champion and we need a face for that to come into fruition.
WINNER and STILL: Bayley
DAVID: Bayley. Realistically, she won’t be losing the title anytime soon and is the best way to move the story forward. As seen on Friday night, it seems like Bianca is next in line to try and exact some vengeance on her and the title. Tiffany is still new to the main roster and despite her popularity with live crowds, a title win would be pushing her to the moon too quickly. Naomi is the dark horse of this match, but a Bayley victory could also potentially see the nature of her friendship with Bayley change.
WINNER: Bayley
NICK: If they took the title off of Bayley this soon then that would be a travesty. Naomi definitely deserves a title reign sometime this year, and Tiffany can get one in a bit…I am looking forward to a great match between these three. I, like most, don’t see Bayley’s reign last more than maybe a few months, but it is too soon.
The women of SmackDown said “bonjour” to Lyon, France as we are only a little over half a day away from Backlash for an episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
The show opened with a star-studded 8-woman tag team match featuring the team of WWE Women’s Champion, Bayley, Naomi, Bianca Belair, and Jade Cargill against Tiffany Stratton and Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane of Damage CTRL. Members of both teams took equal beatings from each other early on. Near the end of the match, Tiffany Stratton rammed Bayley into Naomi and Jade to take them out of the ring. With Bianca being the only one left for the champ to tag in, expressions of hesitation between the two were present due to their acrimonious history. Jade would get up and Bayley made the decision to tag her into the match instead. The miscommunication would prove fruitful however, as Jade and Bianca took out Dakota for the pin.
The pot continued to simmer in a post-match interview where Bianca made her intentions known to Bayley that she would be the next to challenge for the WWE Women’s Championship after Backlash, promising her that she would be done with Damage CTRL for good.
Alisha Edwards has won her first championship in TNA as she and Masha Slamovich are the new Knockouts World Tag Team Champions. Edwards has been with TNA since 2017.
This win marks Slamovich’s start to a third reign as tag champ. Previously, she held the gold on two different occasions with Killer Kelly known together as MK Ultra. Edwards and Slamovich just recently became a team as Kelly is currently taking time off.
Edwards and Slamovich won the titles Friday night at TNA’s Under Siege event with a win over Spitfire (Jody Threat & Dani Luna). This ends Spitfire’s reign at 55 days.
The final moments of the match had Edwards hit Threat with a kendo stick. Slamovich landed Threat on a gutwrench powerbomb, then Alisha hit a Pedigree for the win.
Elsewhere at Under Siege, Ash by Elegance wins a match against Havok. She landed Havok on the ramp with a DDT post match.
NXT cuts were made today and according to Sean Ross Sapp from Fightful, three women are among the releases.
The following NXT names have been confirmed as being released
Darrell Mason Vlad Pavlenko Ezekiel Balogun Kiyah Saint Emma Diaz Valentina Feroz Keyshawn Leflore Trey Bearhill Julian Baldi
Myself and @CoreyBrennanFF will have more info as we get it.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) May 3, 2024
The most well known name is Valentina Feroz. Feroz has been with WWE since 2019 and was working on the NXT brand since. Her last match was against Amari Miller for NXT Level Up back in December. She has worked with Yulisa Leon in a tag team up until Leon requested her release in 2023.
Kiyah Saint is a WWE Performance Center recruit who did several live shows but only had three televised matches, all on Level Up. Her last live show event was in April. She had worked with the company since 2022.
Lastly, Emma Diaz was a newer signee who had only three matches under her belt at live events. One being a Battle Royal. Her last match was in April in a losing effort against Lola Vice. Diaz never made it to TV.
Allie Katch will be making her TNA debut in a match against Tasha Steelz to be taped this weekend. The tapings are set for May 4 in Albany following Under Siege which takes place tonight.
Katch is best known for her time in GCW and many other indie promotions. She has been wrestling since 2015.
It also shows another match between Xia Brookside and Ash by Elegance. Plus a unique 16-person tag team match as all eight of the current TNA champions will battle eight TNA All Stars. The All Stars have currently not been named.
ALBANY!, the action continues after #TNAUnderSiege Join us for a second electrifying night at the Washington Avenue Armory on May 4th for #TNAiMPACT!
An eight woman tag team match has been added to tonight’s episode of SmackDown. It will be Bayley, Naomi, Jade Cargill, and Bianca Belair taking on Tiffany Stratton and Damage CTRL.
The episode was already taped in France where Backlash will take place tomorrow.
Backlash will feature seven out of the eight women in this match as the WWE Women’s Championship will be defended by Bayley against Naomi and Tiffany Stratton. While The Kabuki Warriors will defend the tag titles against Belair and Cargill.
Check back in with Diva Dirt tonight to chat about the last SmackDown before Backlash.
Backlash has arrived as it will take place in France tomorrow, May 4, at 1 PM ET.
Ahead of the event, WWE had a Kickoff which included the participants for the WWE Women’s Championship match. First was Tiffany Stratton and Naomi as the challengers followed by the champion Bayley to hype up the crowd.
Prior to Bayley joining the fun, Naomi told Stratton that she has waited a long time to have a championship opportunity one-on-one with Bayley. So she plans on putting Stratton in her place and doing it early. Stratton reminds Naomi that she pinned her a few weeks ago.
Bayley joined the fun and even though she has respect for Stratton in wanting to make it to the top, she reminds her how long she and Naomi have been around. Bayley for 11 years and Naomi for longer, so Stratton has a long way to go.
Former WWF Women’s Champion Wendi Richter finally responded to all the mud that AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm has been slinging about her.
It first started at the AEW Worlds End press conference when Storm randomly called out Richter and said , “Wendi Richter. I’m going to fuck you up.” Since then, Storm has made some side comments about Richter including at the Revolution press conference she said once again that she would “fuck her up.”
“I didn’t even know she had been calling me out. Someone told me she’s been doing it on a regular basis. Well, money does talk. If they can cough up enough money, I’d take her on. I’d even give her the first swing. Bring it, Toni. You think you can beat me? I’d like to see it. I’m not afraid,” she said.
Richter is 63 years of age and has not wrestled since 2005.
TNA Knockouts gold was on the line on this episode of TNA Impact, just 24 hours before Under Siege.
We first take our focus toward the Knockouts Tag Team division as Alisha Edwards, along with the newly recruited Masha Slamovich, takes on one-half of the tag team champions, Dani Luna. After Spitfire’s successful defense at Countdown to Rebellion, the makeshift team of Edwards and Slamovich are looking to take those titles away at Under Siege.
Luna gets a strong headstart against Edwards but manages to play dirty and take control along with the outside help of Slamovich. Luna manages to come back from the outside interference with her power advantage. However, Threat tries to get involved and the referee gets distracted allowing for Slamovich to take Luna out with the SNOWPLOW. Edwards goes for the pin, along with a win heading into Under Siege.
Next in Knockouts action, TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace is set to defend her title against TJPW’s Miyu Yamashita in the main event of Impact.
Before we can start the championship bout, George Iceman once again interrupts the Tale of the Tape and introduces “Beauty Personified” Ash By Elegance. Ash is set to face Havik tomorrow at Under Siege but has a balcony view of this match tonight.
It is an even bout as Grace tries to match Yamashita’s years-long worth of experience. Grace finds herself in a tough position and tries to use her power advantage to get the best of Yamashita. The two trade blows and find themselves both evenly matched.
Both find themselves on the top rope and Grace manages to launch Yamashita from the top, but Yamashita gets up and tries to take her out with her lethal kicks. However, Grace manages to catch Yamashita in the Juggernaut Driver and retain her title.
Post-match, Steph De Lander and Kon are back to get some revenge on Grace after what happened at Rebellion, but this attack is saved by PCO. Grace is set to tag with PCO against the De Lander and Kon at Under Siege.
What did you think of tonight’s TNA Impact? Will Grace finally overcome De Lander and her crew? Can Edwards and Slamovich win the titles at Under Siege? Let us know what you think in the comments!
We got an extra dose of AEW as Dynamite and Rampage both went live tonight. Rivalries and heated competition amongst the women’s division are continuing to make headway towards Double or Nothing at the end of this month.
We start off the night with Skye Blue calling out TBS Champion Willow Nightingale. Blue says that she has Nightingale’s number and has proved it time and time again. And this go-around she wants to challenge Nightingale for the title later tonight on Rampage.
Skye Blue calls out the TBS Champion Willow Nightingale! ?
Next, we see Renee Paquette backstage with Nightingale and Kris Statlander, talking about the commotion during her title celebration. Statlander apologizes for inadvertently causing the mess, but Nightingale is fuming at the cheap shot the Mercedes Moné took out on her. Regardless, Nightingale is in a fighting mood and she’s ready to “maim” Blue. Renee then informs the crew that if Statlander and Stokely Hathaway get involved, Nightingale will be stripped of the title.
Challenge made and accepted! TONIGHT on #AEWRampage, the TBS Title is on the line as the champion Willow Nightingale takes on the challenger Skye Blue!
Scheduled tonight we have Mariah May going up against Serena Deeb, with Deeb having her sights set on “Timeless” Toni Storm’s AEW Women’s World Championship, per last week.
“The Professor” Serena Deeb is all business tonight as she prepares to take on "Timeless" Toni Storm's Protégé, Mariah May!
The two start very technical and Deeb takes it to the next level and winds up May. The two go back and forth throughout the match. May manages to overpower her technical prowess, but “The Professor” finds some unique offense to overcome May. Deeb manages to get May held up in the submission and has it locked in. With no escape, Storm throws in the towel for May.
Serena Deeb isn't called "The Professor" for nothing!
As we transition into Rampage, after her loss last week Deonna Purazzo is being interviewed and says that she has had enough with Thunder Rosa. And that if Rosa wants to make things personal, she shouldn’t mess with a “Jersey Girl.”
"The Virtuosa" Deonna Purrazzo explains why she attacked Thunder Rosa post-match last week on #AEW Rampage!
Saraya and Harley Cameron also make a backstage appearance and express that they aren’t too impressed by May. Cameron then challenges her to a match next week on Dynamite.
Saraya & Harley Cameron weren't too impressed with Mariah May on #AEWDynamite.
In tonight’s Rampage main event, the TBS Championship is on the line in a Manitoba Massacre Match between Nightingale and Blue. And, the action gets a quick start as they start battering each other on the entrance ramp into the audience.
NEW #TBS Champion Willow Nightingale makes her first title defense against Skye Blue in our MAIN EVENT!
The two make their way back to the ring and Nightingale sets up Blue on a chair. Nightingale launches a senton, but Blue gets out of the way causing a crash landing. The two manage to throw each other into chairs and have chairs thrown at them throughout the entire match.
Blue adds a little extra edge to the match and introduces thumbtacks in the ring. Both end up on the top rope, and Nightingale manages to drop Blue with an Avalanche Bomb onto the tacks.
Blue somehow manages to power through and begins to outsmart Nightingale’s offense. She then sets up a barbwired table on the outside of the ring. However, Nightingale’s power is just too much for her, and hits the Babe with the Powerbomb from the ring to the table and wins her first title defense.
What did you think of both shows tonight? Can Serena Deeb prevail over Toni Storm? Can Willow Nightingale carry this momentum towards Double or Nothing? Sound off in the comments below!
Of course we have to start off the month of May with Mariah May! She will be in action against Serena Deeb. Also both Dynamite and Rampage will be airing tonight.
Night II of NXT Spring Breakin’ is finally here and did we get a show or what!
Scheduled we have Jacy Jayne vs. Thea Hail, a special announcement involving the Women’s North American Championship and in our main event my girl Nattie is taking on Lola Vice in NXT Underground!
Before we get into women’s action though, Lash Legend appears in the opening segment with the NXT Champion, Trick Williams! While this seemed more about advancing a potential feud between Noam Dar & Trick Willians, it’s about time MetaFour gains a bigger spotlight! Hopefully this spotlight for Lash (and Jakara!) translates into the women’s division.
Pre-taped segment aired between Arianna Grace and Gigi “Georgina” Dolin. Good stuff all around, both performers play off each other well
Jacy vs. Thea is next and we see Hail backstage with Fallon Henley, the former is trying to convince Fallon to accompany her ringside but Fallon is feeling shaken after her loss last week and not getting drafted. Thea enthusiastically convinces Fallon and we get the grudge match of Jacy vs. Thea next!
Match starts with a quick back and forth action between the former friends turned enemies, both going counter for counter with neither landing a definitive blow to gain the upper hand before the commercial break!
Back from the break, both women are still jockeying for position. Thea hits a nice somersault splash and goes for a springboard moonsault that gets countered into a sweet neck breaker by Jayne! Jacy gets arrogant and Thea, a student of the game, sees her opening and finally gets the upper hand locking in the arm bar for the submission victory! Prior to the finish, Henley is clocked with a pele kick from Jazmyn Nyx on the outside as she was trying to help Hail.
Winner- Thea Hail
After the match, a bloodied Jacy looks on to the outside as Henley approaches the Chase U celebration. After the rest of the university exits the ring, Fallon pulls Thea in for a sucker puck, signifying a controversial heel turn for some.
General Manager Ava is in the ring whose GM presence is growing by the week. She makes the announcement Sunday June 9th, NXT Battleground we will crown the first ever Women’s North American Champion in a Ladder Match!! NXT officials will select 12 competitors after the roster competes in a Combine next week! Followed by six qualifying matches to determine which six out of the 12 will move on to the ladder match at Battleground.
Jaida Parker interrupts the promo and claims herself as the next history maker and declares herself as the inaugural champion! Sol Ruca is out next, and is pretty good on the mic herself! Arianna Grace joins the fun and I’m literally lolling, what is this nonviolent gimmick? I love it.
MICHIN IS OUT NEXT!!! OH NOW WE’RE TALKING!!!
Big pop from me, love Mia Yim who declares herself for the Combine next week as well! The segment breaks down after Arianna introduces herself to Michin and everything she says is so backhanded, that by the third sentence, Michin clocks her one which cues the entire roster to come out in all out brawl!! That explanation doesn’t do the chaos of it all justice, you just gotta watch it. Fun segment!
NXT packs in a lot of content with it’s final segment before the main event. Hail is contemplating her constant betrayals backstage, Lash & Jakara further their involvement in the NXT Title picture and Fallon storms out with Kelani on her tail asking for an explanation with Henley simply stating she’s finally putting herself first.
Onto our main event!!
Backstage segments featuring both women have been playing all night in preparation for this match. The NXT ring is transformed into a fight arena to represent NXT Underground. Lola Vice is out first and is all business, no hip swivels or sass tonight. Nattie makes her entrance wearing shades but you can still feel the intensity in her gaze! Both women are serious!
The match starts out with both Vice relying heavily on her striking ability, but Natalya has her both outpaced and outwrestled. If you follow the Queen of Harts on social media, you can see how much her cardio & endurance training has really paid off throughout this match.
Back from the break, Nattie is still out pacing Vice with her wrestling skill, Nattie is in her element here! After a few sharp snap suplexes, Nattie basks in adulation a little too much when she steps onto the announce table. Lola takes the opportunity to sweep Nattie right into her back! Nattie’s hurt but determined, the two women grappled back in the ring but now that Lola has a target she relentlessly attacks her prey.
Natalya powers through the pain and not only puts Lola in her place, but thwarts every interference by the Queen of Spades, Shayna Baszler when this breaks down into a 2 on 1 assault. After throwing Baszler onto the outside, Natalya locks in the sharpshooter and Vice is seconds away from tapping until Shayna targets Karmen Petrovic on the outside. After locking in the Kirifuda Clutch on the helpless blonde, Natalya ultimately decides to help her friend which ends up costing her as Lola capitilizes on the distraction and knocks Nattie out with a spinning back fist.
Winner: Lola Vice
Backstage to end the show General Manager Ava and NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez are bantering back in forth when Ava introduces Chelsea Green as Roxanne’s next challenger for the NXT Women’s Championship…next week!!
Author’s Note:
That was a really unexpected cliff hanger to end the show! I thought the surprise next opponent was going to be Tatum based off how the segment played out earlier in the night, but Chelsea Green is a welcome anytime in NXT!
Lola vs. Nattie is definitely worth a watch just for the sheer intensity brought by both women. It amazes me that this far into her career, Natalya is still challenging herself at this level and paying it forward to yet another generation of up and coming talent.
The Women’s North American Title scene is giving more purpose and motivation for the women’s mid-card. There were so many character segments on last night’s show it was hard to keep up!! It’s a good problem to have though, as the NXT women’s division shows no signs of slowing down. See ya’ll next week for what will undoubtedly be another fun show. Until then, stay Phonie!
As the NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez continues to be a thorn in the side of General Manager Ava, she gets some bad news at the end of the April 30 episode of NXT. Perez has to defend her championship next week. She isn’t happy about it though as she just defended it last week in a Triple Threat.
Ava let’s her know that her opponent will be Chelsea Green. Green entered with a huge smile saying that the NXT Women’s Title would look so good in her jewelry box.
What we know now is that six women will do battle in a ladder match to determine the inaugural NXT Women’s North American Champion at Battleground on June 6. What we still don’t know just yet is which six women will get this once in a lifetime opportunity.
On the April 30 Spring Breakin’ episode of NXT, General Manager Ava announced how we are going to get down to the six women. First – – next week we will witness a women’s roster combine. From there, 12 women will be chosen to go on to compete in six qualifying matches. The six women who win those matches will go on to the ladder match at Battleground.
One woman who has her eyes firmly planted on the prize is SmackDown’s Michin. She returned to NXT during this announcement to throw her name in the ring. Others such as Jaida Parker, Sol Ruca, and even Arianna Grace had something to say. Although Grace just wanted everyone to stop fighting. The locker room emptied and the women fought in the ring to end the segment.
Who do you think will be the six to make it to Battleground and which one woman will rise to the top and become the first ever NXT Women’s North American Champion?
Nice Fallon Henley is gone, she has entered her heel era.
On the second night of NXT’s Spring Breakin’, Thea Hail took on Jacy Jayne. Someone who Hail used to consider a mentor and a friend. Jayne who has told Hail that she was none of that. They had a tough fight between the two which left Jayne bleeding, but it was Hail who got the victory.
Before Hail’s hand was raised, Jazmyn Nyx on the outside went for the pele kick but Fallon Henley moved Hail out of the way and absorbed the blow. Henley was at ringside with the rest of Chase U cheering on Hail, until she wasn’t.
As Chase U were leaving the ring, Henley had pulled Hail back from the ropes and delivered one big forearm to take her out. Henley exited the ring as Chase U attended to Hail. Jayne and Nyx looked on with approval.
Tiffany Stratton may have been Veronica Swanson. Very Time doesn’t have the same ring to it that Tiffy Time does. This would have been her name if she didn’t choose wisely!
In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Stratton discusses her ring name. She says that Tiffany is her mother’s name so that was easy to decide, and Stratton she wasn’t completely sure where she got it from. However, she recalls hearing it in the Wolf on Wall Street as a character’s name is Stratton Oakmont. Plus she feels the name Tiffany Stratton just sounded good!
What would you have thought of Veronica Swanson if she chose it?
Choo will be taking on Wren Sinclair during the NXT Level Up tapings tonight. She has been out of action for nearly a year. Her last match was on Level Up last May where she teamed with Kelani Jordan in a victory against Elektra Lopez and Lola Vice.
Fightful Select has learned that Wendy Choo is listed to return to action during tonight's NXT Level Up tapings.
Wendy has been on the shelf for around a year now.
— Corey Brennan Of Fightful.com (@CoreyBrennanFF) April 30, 2024
Per Corey Brennan of Fightful Select –
Fightful Select’s Corey Brennan has learned that Wendy Choo is internally listed to return to action during tonight’s NXT Level Up tapings, where she is listed to face off with Wren Sinclair ahead of tonight’s NXT.
Choo has been on the injury list since the May 19th edition of NXT Level Up and has been recovering since. Choo was in attendance at the WWE PC during both night’s of the WWE Draft and we previously reported that she was close to a return.
At Stand & Deliver over WrestleMania XL weekend, NXT General Manager Ava provided some really exciting news for the NXT women’s division. The division that is already stacked with nearly 30 women will now have a second championship to fight for, the NXT Women’s North American Championship!
There are so many amazing talents in NXT already and with the draft coming up, you never know who may come back around from the main roster also. Although at this time it is unknown if fans will see a traditional tournament or another way to determine the inaugural winner, the roster has been buzzing.
Let’s get into the list!
Kelani Jordan
Kelani is one of the fastest rising stars in NXT. She has come so close to winning a big one but came just short of the NXT Breakout Tournament against Lola Vice in the finals of that tournament. She has also participated in the Iron Survivor Challenge, and has had a couple of premium live event appearances — No Mercy and Stand & Deliver.
Fallon Henley
Yeehaw bitch!
Fallon has already become a veteran in NXT and has proven herself to be a full package star. She is already a former tag team champion and has proven that she could carry a storyline and make fans invested, which is what is needed in a champion. Henley seems to be right on the cusp of being moved to the main roster and a title reign as the inaugural NXT Women’s North American Champion would be a perfect last step up.
Jacy Jayne
Jacy has shown she can be a leader and that is something we need to see in a champion. She is also a former two-time women’s tag team champion so she knows how it feels to be a champion. Currently she is leading Jazmyn Nyx and may end up with Izzi Dame as well. So why not have the leader of a group be a champ? It worked for Mandy Rose.
Lash Legend
Speaking of groups, I think it is time for a woman in Meta-Four to hold some gold. Lash has come a long way since her start and it just might be time for her to hold some gold. Her and Jakara would likely have been tag team champs if NXT still had their own belts. Lash started to show what she can do as an MVP of the Iron Survivor Challenge in December.
Sol Ruca
Sol Ruca is one that continues to impress and someone everyone has their eye on. She may have had her set back being out for nearly a year, but there is no denying that she is a star. This could be a big breakout for Sol and be a positive movement forward for the women’s division.
Tatum Paxley
Last but not least we have Tatum. If you would have asked me six months ago if I thought Tatum should hold a title I would have said no. However, Tatum is someone who has shown their worth. Between the “friendship” with Lyra Valkyria and her recent title match against both Valkyria and Roxanne Perez shows she can hang with the top stars.
There is planned to be some announcement on who will be involved and how we will get the first champion crowned on tonight’s NXT. So check back in with Diva Dirt and lets talk about it!
Some news is coming out in regards to the NXT Women’s North American Championship.
At Stand & Deliver, NXT General Manager Ava introduced the title. Since then it has been frequently mentioned on TV but we haven’t seen a step forward on the belt yet.
Corey Brennan of Fightful Select is providing the following information.
“It doesn’t look like there will be a tournament for the NXT Women’s North American title anymore, as a WWE Hall Of Famer and several women’s stars of NXT are listed for a segment on tonight’s show.”
It doesn't look like there will be a tournament for the NXT Women's North American title anymore, as a WWE Hall Of Famer and several women's stars of NXT are listed for a segment on tonight's show.
— Corey Brennan Of Fightful.com (@CoreyBrennanFF) April 30, 2024
When questioned on Brennan’s post, he confirmed that this doesn’t mean the title has been scrapped and he has confirmed that it won’t be a Battle Royal either to decide.
They aren't.
— Corey Brennan Of Fightful.com (@CoreyBrennanFF) April 30, 2024
Monday Night Raw marked Night II of the 2024 WWE Draft! A memorable night on it’s own but after ending the show last week crowning Becky Lynch as the new World Women’s Champion, we’re opening the show with The Man!
Lynch energizes Kansas City hyping up the draft and her win from last week which reminds the crowd that it was in this very building Becky career transformed. After adulation from the audience, Liv Morgan interrupts the opening promo and shows her growth on the mic and exclaims Becky owes her a title shot.
Before we can get a response from the champ, Nia Jax makes her presence known and really steals the show. I’m going to miss getting to cover the Irresistible Force in my reviews every week now that she’s been drafted to Smackdown. Nia vs Liv is made for later tonight!
Round 1 of the WWE Draft is kicked off by none other than Stephanie McMahon herself! After I finished marking out, the Billion Dollar Princess announced the following first round draft picks:
First round started off with the much needed seperation of Damage Control from Belair/Bayley. Cargill being named the #1 Draft pick for the blue brand show’s the company’s level of confidence in her star power which I’m 100% here for.
2nd Round Draft Picks
BFab (apart of The Pride) stays on Smackdown
Tiffany Stratton stays on Smackdown
Kiana James had a brief promo package announcing her draft to Monday Night Raw, really excited to have her on Monday Nights!! A lot of commenters on prior articles have hoped for an Alexa/Carmella type ascent for James on the main roster and I couldn’t agree more!
3rd Round Draft Picks
Zelina Vega (apart of the LWO) to Raw
Electra Lopez (apart of Legado Del Fantasma) stays on Smackdown
Backstage promo with Maxxine getting hyped up before her tag match tonight! The short hair really works for Dupri, her and Gable build sympathy really well in the segment with Ivy coming in to support her tag partner. Def got me excited for the upcoming match!
Candice LeRae is in the ring with Indi Hartwell heeling it up and out comes Maxxine and her carb free friend Ivy!!
Maxxine is definitely still finding her feet in between the ropes but ends up dominating LeRae throughout the match. The bout culminates with Dupri locking in Candice’s ankle in hopes of a submission victory but ends up loosening her grip after witnessing Hartwell push Nile into the ring post!
The distraction is enough for LeRae to pick up the victory after stomping Dupri’s face into the mat with the Wicked Stepmother! Winner- Candice
4th Round Draft Picks
(Alunda Blayze is out in a really fierce red blazer btw)
Liv Morgan makes her entrance for her match against Nia Jax!! Interesting that Morgan is playing more of a tweener role here because I do think she’s justified in her frustrations plus you have Jax who is CLEARLY the heel and we love her for it.
Jax starts with tossing Liv about and just dominates early on with few moments of Morgan gaining the upper hand. After planting Liv into the announce table with a wheelbarrow faceplant outside the ring, the camera cuts to the 3rd round Smackdown draft pick, Tiffany Stratton in prime spotlight! Cut to commercial!
Nia in control as we return from commercial, there’s a freaken Ryan Gosling spot, who I love, but c’mon. Brief cuts to Stratton as Liv fights back and starts smashing Nia’s head into the ring post. Nia shakes that off like whatever, and hits a Samoan Drop for 2!!
Liv focusing on Nia’s head, which isn’t a bad strategy but Nia chokeslams the hell out of Liv. Seriously ouch. Jax drags the limp Morgan in position for the bonzai drop but the little spitfire throws Nia off balance and hits a powerbomb!! Near fall at 2!!
Tiffy and Naomi start brawling at ringside which Nia gets involved in allowing Liv to hit a springboard codebreaker into Oblivion for the win!! Winner- Liv Morgan
Adam Pearce celebrates Chelsea Green to Smackdown and we have our 5th round Draft picks next!!
5th Round Draft Picks
LYRA VALKYRIA GET’S DRAFTED FROM NXT TO RAW!!!
Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell move from Raw to Smackdown!!
.@Real_Valkyria has grown, inside and out of the ring, every single day since coming to #WWENXT
Lyra Valkyria is an excellent addition to the Raw Roster!! I was a big fan of her NXT work but a loss with LeRae who I thought was being built up on Raw. Oh well, another addition to the blue brand!
Backstage Liv Morgan is feeling good after her win and is approached by Becky Lynch who confirms she has her title shot. Becky is then surrounded by Damage Control who make their presence known on Raw.
6th Round Draft Picks
Scarlett to Monday Night Raw!!
Blair Davenport is drafted from NXT to Smackdown!!!
At this point, the remaining women eligible to be drafted are Natalya, Tegan, Katana, Kayden and Nile (ft. The Creed Brothers). I hope some of the aforementioned stay on the red brand as Smackdown is stacked with star power after Night II.
Raw was overall good tonight, Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan are positioned to lead the women’s division going forward with the impending takeover of Damage Control lurking. Rhea will definitely be back on Raw upon healing but I do hope we get another NXT call up in the supplemental draft like the rumored Fallon Henley.
