Late last week, WWE announced that at TakeOver: Toronto on Nov. 19, Asuka will defend her NXT Women's Championship against a returning Mickie James.
It will mark the first time in over six years that James will have stepped foot in a WWE ring, but despite her amazing accolades as a former multi-time Women's and Divas champion, she will be facing tough competition in the form of the undefeated Asuka.
As exciting of a match as that is on paper, it doesn't change how depleted NXT's women's division has been since the call-ups of Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Carmella and Nia Jax to the main roster.
The division has been in something of a rebuilding phase as of late, though no one is remotely close to being on the same level as Asuka at the moment.
James is a prime example of a credible competitor who can still go in the ring and is an excellent addition to NXT's women's roster. To fully flesh out the division, WWE should look into bringing in these five tremendously talented women's wrestlers.
#5 Tessa Blanchard
If the name Tessa Blanchard sounds familiar to you, it's because it should. She has made a handful of appearances on NXT over the past year but has yet to be signed to an official contract.
Not only is she a gorgeous girl, she is a skilled wrestler and has improved immensely on the independent scene over the years. Blanchard has also proven she can work as both a babyface and as a heel in her time on NXT.
Whether she could follow in the footsteps of fellow second-generation star Charlotte and amount to incredible success remains to be seen, but from what we've seen of her thus far, she definitely has all the tools to be something special.
#4 Madison Rayne
Madison Rayne is one of the few standout women's wrestlers from TNA who is still under contract to the company. She debuted as just another member of the roster in 2009 before joining The Beautiful People and later coming into her own as a fantastic heel.
In her seven years with the promotion, she has held the Knockouts Championship a whopping five times and has done battle with virtually everyone who has come through TNA. That said, she has fallen to the wayside in recent years and would benefit from a change in scenery.
Of course, it might be a while until she is WWE bound depending on when her TNA contract expires, but she would a great pick-up by NXT, nevertheless. She could receive an all-new character, though, given her success in TNA, it might be better for WWE to allow her to keep the Madison Rayne name.
#3 Victoria
Similar to Mickie James, Victoria has kept a low profile in wrestling since leaving TNA in 2013. Even at the time of her departure, she was at the top of her game and could have gone a few more years, but a lack of direction led to her leaving the organisation.
Victoria “retired” from WWE at a time when the younger stars were starting to take centre stage, and Creative largely had nothing for her. She wouldn't feel out of place whatsoever in the current landscape of Raw or SmackDown Live, but her talents are needed in NXT right now.
She wouldn't have to win the NXT Women's Championship, nor should she, but she could do wonders in helping put over the talent of tomorrow. Not to mention that a clash of the crazies between her and Asuka would be pretty darn cool.
#2 Santana Garrett
Santana Garrett is another individual who pops up in NXT from time to time to work as an enhancement talent against the more notable names. However, she has actually been appearing in the promotion for over three years by this point, and still she hasn't been signed by the brand.
It's possible she would accept an offer from WWE, but it's hard to blame her for enjoying her freedom on the independent scene. She is widely regarded as one of the best female wrestlers in the world right now and has the flexibility of creating her own schedule.
As Brittany, TNA never utilised her to her full potential and she didn't last long at all. Perhaps a run in NXT could prove to TNA that letting her go last year was a major blow to their Knockouts division.
#1 Gail Kim
Gail Kim has already been in WWE twice before, and neither run was all that spectacular. She won the Women's Championship in her debut match with the company back in 2003 but went on to do next to nothing from that point forward.
Don't let that be a reflection on her talent, however, as she has shown through her work in TNA over the past decade that she is without a doubt one of the greatest women's wrestlers this business has ever seen. She recently captured her record-setting sixth Knockouts Championship and became the first female to be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame.
That said, what more is there for her to accomplish in TNA? Regardless of whether the company closes shop or she decides to leave on her own, it could be that maybe third time's the charm for her in WWE, especially if she has one last stint in NXT where she wouldn’t be wasted.
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