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Once the dust settled following the 2020 WWE Draft, the women's division on SmackDown was arguably in need of some work. The top four spots on the blue brand were taken by Sasha Banks, Bayley, Bianca Belair, and Carmella.
Here's how the women's roster on the blue brand shaped up following the draft:
- Sasha Banks
- Bayley
- Carmella
- Bianca Belair
- Natalya
- Billie Kay
- Ruby Riott
- Tamina
- Liv Morgan
Shortly after the Draft concluded, Banks dethroned Bayley as SmackDown Women's Champion, with The Role Model having held the title for over a year. A repackaged Carmella was the first challenger for The Boss. However, The Untouchable One was not successful in defeating Banks for the SmackDown Women's Title.
One could say that Belair was the only logical challenger for the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania 37 as early as the WWE Draft.
If The EST Of WWE wins the title from The Boss, she'll need new challengers. Belair already dispatched Bayley and after failing several times, Carmella doesn't deserve more title shots right away.
Conventional thinking would be that someone like Natalya, Morgan, or Riott could challenge her. None of those women, however, would be serious threats right now. The Queen Of Harts is still a valuable member of the roster but hasn't been built as a serious contender yet.
With the way that the Riott Squad has been booked recently, it would take them some time before being considered as threats to the SmackDown Women's Champion. Billie Kay has been treated as more of a comedic performer than a title challenger.
For that reason, it is evident that reinforcements are needed in the Women's division on SmackDown. Had Rhea Ripley been put on the blue brand, that would have helped some of the issues. However, The Nightmare is heading to RAW.
Since debuts or returns tend to take place immediately after WrestleMania, here are five female Superstars who could join the SmackDown roster within the next few months.
#5 Female Superstar who could join SmackDown in the next few months - Mercedes Martinez
Mercedes Martinez is a veteran of over 20 years and is already ready for the main roster. She has had two stints in NXT, briefly joining the Robert Stone Brand during her first run. Martinez was then a part of RETRIBUTION briefly. However, she personally requested WWE management to take her out of the group.
After a month or so, she returned to the black and gold brand to attack NXT Women's Champion, Io Shirai. The attack first led to a brief alliance between Toni Storm and Martinez in the first-ever Women's Dusty Classic Tag Team Tournament. The duo fell to Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter and quickly imploded after that loss.
Both women continued to stake a claim to the NXT Women's title and it led to a Triple Threat Match for the Championship at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day. Shirai retained her gold and Martinez hasn't really been seen on television since.
A promotion to SmackDown could be in her future since her initial callup to RAW was basically canceled. It would be strange for her to rejoin the red brand, so moving to Friday Nights would be the right move.
It would give the blue brand another tough female Superstar that doesn't waste time in asserting her dominance. Her promotion would also give the blue brand another viable challenger for the title.
#4 Female Superstar who could join SmackDown in the next few months - Santana Garrett
Santana Garrett could be a good addition to SmackDown. Her WWE tenure has been an interesting one. Garrett was primarily used as an enhancement talent in NXT before officially signing with the brand. When she did ink a WWE deal, Garrett was used in the same fashion.
She hasn't appeared on NXT in the past few months but was a part of the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble. As a professional wrestler, Garrett is an experienced campaigner and didn't need much seasoning in NXT.
She has had runs in IMPACT Wrestling and other independent promotions throughout the United States.
Around November of last year, reports emerged that she had been "quietly" called up to the main roster. However, she hasn't been seen on any brand for quite some time excluding her appearance during the Royal Rumble.
Garrett is a veteran that could add some great depth to the SmackDown women's ranks. Her in-ring work is clean and has an exciting move set. She really should have been on RAW or SmackDown already, but all is forgiven if she joins the blue brand soon.
#3 Female Superstar who could join SmackDown in the next few months - Vanessa Borne
Vanessa Borne could very easily join SmackDown at any moment. It seems that she just needs directions from the creative team to join the action on Friday nights.
Reports emerged over last summer that she had been quietly promoted to the main roster. However, Borne has been away from WWE programming throughout 2020.
It seems like she is getting more training before appearing on the main roster. If she does join SmackDown, she'd need a small tweak of her character.
Tamina and Natalya are being built up again on SmackDown in the past few weeks and have been dominating The Riott Squad and Billie Kay on the blue brand. In order to prevent the feud from becoming stale, the creative team could make Borne pair up with the two veterans. It will give new possibilities in terms of matches as well.
Being paired with Tamina and Natalya will help Borne adapt quickly to the main roster and make her become a major player on SmackDown.
#2 Female Superstar who could join SmackDown in the next few months - Io Shirai
A few things would need to happen for this to take place on SmackDown, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility. Io Shirai has had a dominant reign on NXT as the Women's Champion and it seems like she is ready to make the jump into the main roster
Shirai defeated both Ripley and Charlotte Flair to win the NXT Women's Championship at TakeOver: In Your House back in June 2020. That means she's working on a title reign of nearly 10 months. Depending on the plans around her upcoming match with Toni Storm, The Joshi Judas could drop her title to the former NXT UK Women's Champion. That could mean that promotion to the main roster could be in the future for the Genius of the Sky.
If the title does change hands, look for a possible main roster call-up for the Genius of the Sky. The possibility of Shirai feuding with the likes of Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Natalya is something that would excite the WWE Universe and she will be a major addition to SmackDown.
#1 Female Superstar who could join SmackDown in the next few months - Becky Lynch
The biggest name SmackDown could acquire in the next few months would be a returning Becky Lynch. The former RAW Women's Champion has been out of action since April 2020 and gave birth to her first child in December last year. However, according to reports, The Man could be making her return to WWE soon.
The Superstar who walks out of WrestleMania 37 as SmackDown Women's Champion will need serious new challengers and Lynch would be the perfect option. The Man would be looking to reclaim her top spot in the division
One big reason why Lynch would return to SmackDown is that WWE tries to keep couples on the same brand. The former RAW Women's Champion is engaged to Seth Rollins, who was moved to SmackDown after last year's WWE Draft.
The blue brand's Women's division is in need of another star performer and The Man fits the bill.
