'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The longest-reigning WWE NXT UK Women's Champion in the brand's history, Kay Lee Ray, lost the gold to Mieko Satomura this week. The self-proclaimed "Forever Champion" had bested Satomura back in March. However, after a hellacious war between the two in the main event of NXT UK this week, Satomura managed to defeat Ray with Scorpio Rising.
At 28 years of age, Kay Lee Ray is one of the best, not just in her division or brand, but in the entire company. With her loss to The Final Boss, we can assume that she'll be making her way stateside sooner rather than later. The question is, who will be waiting for Kay Lee Ray?
Today we'll be looking at five feuds for Kay Lee Ray in NXT.
#5 Former NXT Tag Champion Shotzi Blackheart
Shotzi Blackheart is flat-out fun to watch. The energy she brings to the ring, the way she just carelessly launches herself at her opponents, it's hard not to want to root for NXT's Tank Girl. It's even better when she's facing someone who can draw a lot of emotion from the crowd, and there aren't many around that can do that like Kay Lee Ray.
If we're looking to build up Kay Lee Ray as the venomous snake she really is, having her dominate a fan favorite in Shotzi Blackheart just seems like the right choice, especially if it's her first feud with NXT.
Blackheart knows how to suffer through the worst punishment imaginable and come back for more. We've seen this in her time in NXT already. She's taken the likes of Shayna Baszler and Bianca Belair to their limits, and had a stellar showing at WarGames back in 2020. There might not be a better first pick for Kay Lee Ray than Shotzi Blackheart.
#4 Former NXT UK Champion Toni Storm
This would be a continuation of the NXT UK feud that Toni Storm and Kay Lee Ray had a few years back. Kay Lee Ray dethroned Storm at the brand's second-ever TakeOver event, NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff.
Toni Storm fought Kay Lee Ray several times in NXT UK, and whether it was singles competition or not, Storm could never beat her. Since then, Storm's gone through a change.
Storm's gotten a bit of an edge to her character since jumping to NXT, becoming an arrogant competitor desperate to prove that she's the best in that ring. That may all stem from the loss she suffered in Cardiff, Wales back in 2019. If that wasn't the case, it was being forced by Kay Lee Ray to say "I quit" in 2020.
With the woman who shut down her first title run in WWE possibly coming to NXT, we'd have to see these two go head-to-head once again, right?
#3 NXT Women's Champion Raquel González
Being the longest-reigning NXT UK Women's Champion, Kay Lee Ray could make the claim that she's deserving of a shot against NXT's champion. Raquel González has only held the gold for a short while, but she's been incredibly dominant.
In her last ten matches, González has only lost three tag team bouts where Dakota Kai was the one pinned. González was the one responsible for sending Rhea Ripley to the main roster after crushing her in a Last Woman's Standing match at the start of 2021.
Raquel González is NXT's new shiny powerhouse, and after running through virtually everyone on the roster in the past few years, a fresh face would do her some good. Knowing that, bring in Kay Lee Ray, a competitor that's had a dominant streak of her own and is known for slaying powerhouses herself like Piper Niven.
#2 Former NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai
Former NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai doesn't seem to be leaving the Black and Gold brand anytime soon. Shirai returned to NXT this week to aid her friend and Grammy-nominated artist Poppy, taking on long-time rival Candice LeRae.
With Shirai sticking around a bit longer, we'd love to see Kay Lee Ray go after NXT's Genius of the Sky before Shirai moves onto SmackDown or RAW. In fact, this would be a great send-off for Shirai and could set Kay Lee Ray up for a feud with current NXT Women's Champion Raquel Gonzalez.
While we've seen these two work with one another in NXT before, working together leading up to a women's WarGames match, we haven't had a chance to see them clash under the WWE banner. With both women holding similar beliefs, believing themselves to truly be the best in the world, it would be exciting to find out who was right.
Speaking of that WarGames match...
#1 NXT Tag Champion Candice LeRae
Let's face it, the Poison Pixie and The Way have been extremely entertaining and one of the best things about NXT in the past few months. With the inclusion of Austin Theory, Indi Hartwell, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae have truly shined as egotistical jerks who believe their "way" is the only one that matters.
Candice LeRae has been putting on some fantastic work as a heel, something that NXT fans may not have expected coming from the peppy, happy-go-lucky competitor that came down to a theme called "Never Back Down" in her early days with the brand.
The fact is she's downright despicable. She manipulated Indi Hartwell's love life just to keep herself ahead and hold gold, and she'll probably do more given the chance. Lee Ray may be a great way to introduce someone fresh. A new face that could help Indi Hartwell see her for the villain she truly is.
Am I saying use Kay Lee as a face in NXT? Absolutely not. She's pure evil. It would be a waste not to have her draw boos from crowds for years to come. But as someone that sows seeds of discord throughout NXT? It would be interesting to say the least.
As far as the actual match between these two, if you'd never seen either of these competitors in the indies, you'd be surprised at just how brutal they both can be. Candice LeRae had many bloody wars throughout her time in PWG, and we've seen bits and pieces of that in her NXT run. Last year she shared fond memories of the Young Bucks superkicking her in the face with shoes covered in thumb tacks, so she's pretty tough.
Kay Lee Ray? Just check out the Queen of Insanity Match between herself and Viper at ICW a few years ago.
If the feud got heated enough, we could see these two pull off something barbaric and brutal the likes that NXT has never seen, and that just sounds like fun.
A WWE Hall of Famer called out AEW fans HERE
