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WWE announced during this week's RAW that Eva Marie will be making her highly anticipated return on the next episode of the red brand.
The former Total Divas star has been the subject of several vignettes over the past six weeks, hyping her return to the promotion. Rumors about her re-signing with WWE date back to October 2020, with several sightings of Marie training at the WWE Performance Center since.
The recent vignettes on Monday Night RAW have centered around presenting Eva Marie as a "role model" and an inspiration to others.
Marie has promised the WWE Universe that we will see a completely new side of her as she makes her return to the company.
It has subsequently been reported by reputable insider Twitter account @WrestleVotes, that the plan is for Marie to come back with some "muscle" by her side. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at five WWE Superstars that could align with Eva Marie upon her return.
#5 Current WWE NXT Superstar Mercedes Martinez
One name discussed to potentially serve as Eva Marie's "muscle" is current WWE NXT Superstar, Mercedes Martinez. This won't be the first time Martinez has been called up to the main roster during her WWE career.
She was originally a member of RETRIBUTION on Monday Night RAW during the fall of 2020.
With her name changed to 'Retaliation,' Martinez appeared on a few episodes of RAW with the faction before heading back to perform on the NXT brand once again under her previous name.
Since then, Martinez has engaged in feuds against the likes of former NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai and Xia Li of Tian Sha. Her current feud with Tian Sha could serve as a method of writing her off from the NXT brand, facilitating her return to the main roster.
Being paired with an experienced wrestler such as Mercedes Martinez would be beneficial for Marie as she continues to improve inside the ring.
The returning star serving as a mouthpiece for Martinez, would benefit her as well on the main roster.
#4 Current WWE NXT UK Superstar Piper Niven
Current NXT UK Superstar Piper Niven may not be completely well known to all areas of the WWE Universe.
The Scottish-born star competed in the 2017 WWE Mae Young Classic, defeating Santana Garrett and Serena Deeb in the first two rounds before falling to Toni Storm in the third.
After this impressive showing in the tournament, Niven was eventually signed to a WWE contract. She made her NXT UK debut in March of 2019, confronting former Women's Champion, Rhea Ripley.
Since then, Piper Niven has competed numerous times unsuccessfully for the NXT UK Women's Championship. This includes a triple threat match at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II against Toni Storm and Kay Lee Ray.
Niven also unsuccessfully challenged for the title in a Falls Count Anywhere match against Ray on a November 2020 edition of NXT UK.
Piper Niven hasn't competed on the black and gold brand's UK version since March this year. This has led some to speculate that she may have already flown over to the United States and quarantined ahead of a switch to the WWE main roster.
Eva Marie serving as a "role model" and "inspiration" to Piper Niven on Monday Night RAW would certainly be an interesting move. But given the two characters are completely polar opposites, it just might work.
#3 Former WWE NXT Superstar Mia Yim
Former NXT superstar Mia Yim hasn't been seen on WWE television for several months at this point.
Yim was called up to the main roster in the fall of 2020 as a member of the RETRIBUTION faction. She was paired with fellow former NXT stars T-BAR (Dominik Dijakovic), MACE (Dio Maddin), SLAPJACK (Shane Thorne) and RETALIATION (Mercedes Martinez). Similar to her teammates, she also underwent a name change and was billed as RECKONING.
However, the faction's reign of terror on Monday Night RAW was shortlived. Earlier this year on WWE television, RETRIBUTION leader Mustafa Ali would continually criticize and berate his followers for continued losses. This eventually culminated in Ali's followers turning on him, walking out on their leader at Fastlane and ending the faction.
Since then, Mia Yim has been quietly assigned to the SmackDown roster. However, Yim is yet to make her first appearance on the blue brand and there are reports suggesting her debut has been postponed.
If there are no plans for Mia Yim on SmackDown in the pipeline, perhaps Yim could move back to Monday Night RAW.
On the red brand, Yim could serve as Eva Marie's "muscle." The HBIC is far too talented to be sitting on the sidelines and perhaps a pairing with Marie is exactly what she needs to get her WWE career back up and running once more.
#2 Former WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Carmella
Former SmackDown Women's Champion Carmella has made quite an impact since returning to WWE television in the fall of 2020.
The first ever Ms. Money In the Bank returned to the blue brand with a new "untouchable" gimmick. She even had Reginald working for her at one point.
Carmella has since engaged in a feud against then-SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks. This was followed by briefly forming a tag team with former WWE Superstar Billie Kay heading into WrestleMania 37.
Currently, Carmella is lacking creative direction on SmackDown. Even though the former Women's Champion has scored a few impressive wins in the past few weeks, it is clear that she can do much more.
Perhaps Eva Marie could serve as an "inspiration" and "role model" to WWE Superstars on both Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown.
A WWE Draft is reportedly on the horizon later this year. This means that Carmella and Eva Marie could certainly become a formidable, yet incredibly annoying, heel tag team that eventually captures the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.
#1 Former WWE RAW Women's Champion Asuka
Former WWE RAW Women's Champion Asuka is currently in an interesting situation on Monday Night RAW.
Many members of the WWE Universe have suggested that The Empress of Tomorrow carried the red brand's Women's division during the pandemic era.
Asuka held the RAW Women's Championships for the majority of broadcasts from the WWE Performance Center and the ThunderDome.
Her reign as RAW Women's Champion came to an end earlier this year when she lost to Rhea Ripley on Night Two of WrestleMania 37.
Asuka was then unsuccessful in capturing the RAW Women's Championship at WrestleMania Backlash as Ripley pinned her in the Triple Threat Match which also featured Charlotte Flair.
Seemingly now out of the RAW Women's Championship picture, one must ask what is next for Asuka on the red brand?
Perhaps The Empress Of Tomorrow could now pair up with Eva Marie on Monday Night RAW. The returning star as Asuka's mouthpiece would certainly be a refreshing character change for the Japanese star. This would surely get the WWE Universe talking.
Furthermore, Asuka eventually winning the RAW Women's Championship under the guidance of Eva Marie would demonstrate just how much of an "inspiration" she truly is.
