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This week's episode of RAW came to us from the United Kingdom and more often than not, the UK shows just turn out to be massive disappointments. However, this week's show had its share of good, bad and interesting moments.
I'd certainly say that the alliance between Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss qualifies in the very final category. It will be very interesting indeed to see where this alliance potentially goes, after this.
But why was the decision made to pair Alexa Bliss with Nikki Cross? I mean their gimmicks are so dissimilar from each other that it makes for a very unique pairing.
Here is my personal assessment of the situation. Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts as well.
#5 No more SAnitY
Simply put, SAnitY was an experiment that worked well in NXT and could have potentially even have worked in the main roster. They just never got a chance to shine like they did on the black and yellow brand. And now, all the gentlemen in the faction are scattered, not knowing what the future holds for them.
Nikki Cross was a big part of SAnitY in NXT and it was a breath of stale air (I mean this in a good way, in line with their gimmick) because not enough factions have a woman in them. She added a very different sort of dynamic to the faction but has hardly been used on TV since she got called up. No, she wasn't even a part of SAnitY in the main roster.
Well, Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe and big Killian Dain are all on different brands right now and SAnitY is no more. Which means that Cross needed something new to do and this seemed like the right fit for her.
#4 Potential opponents for The IIconics' titles
The Women's Tag Team Division is probably the coldest one in all of WWE. Yes, The IIconics are feuding with Asuka and Kairi Sane, but somehow the feud just seems like it has absolutely no heat. One cannot blame Asuka and Kairi Sane or even the Champions for the situation.
But then, if Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross actually team up, they make quite a formidable pair of opponents for Billie Kay and Peyton Royce in due course of time. WWE usually pays a lot of attention to Alexa Bliss because she is a very marketable Superstar, and therefore anything she is in, invariably shines in the spotlight.
By inserting Alexa Blisa and Nikki Cross into this segment and hopefully putting the titles on them, it can allow for underdog babyface teams to challenge for the titles in due time. This could be interesting!
#3 To be the wild card during Money in the Bank
Nikki Cross took Alexa Bliss' place in this week's Fatal Four Way match, ensuring that the two women are now a unit. She even went on to win the match, establishing herself in the process.
This means that Nikki Cross could be the wild card who swings the odds in Alexa Bliss' favor at Money in the Bank 2019. It's a similar role to say, Sonya Deville, who will certainly be the X Factor who could help Mandy Rose win the said contract.
This element of uncertainty may actually make more people tune in and enjoy the match. Bear in mind that Money in the Bank will come our way at the same time as Game of Thrones and the company will face some stiff competition from Kings Landing.
But not knowing who will win could certainly make things interesting for the WWE Universe.
#2 Wyatt is doing the 'weird' gimmick
WWE is quite clearly invested in what Bray Wyatt is doing at the moment. It is clear that he has a big hand in the scripting that happens in all his segments. The symbolism is quite obvious and one can see for certain that it's Wyatt's devious mind behind all of what we get to see on screen.
What this essentially means is that WWE will not ideally want an overlap between two characters with similar gimmicks. This is why they are probably normalizing Nikki Cross, thereby making sure that one gimmick isn't confused for another. It is quite clear for now that Bray Wyatt doesn't want her to play the part of Sister Abigail, right now.
Instead of a stable, I'm guessing that the Firefly Fun House will just be Bray Wyatt portraying various personas. I'm okay with this because Wyatt never disappoints.
#1 Mickie James is on SmackDown Live
What is a Goddess without someone by her side, to worship her? WWE has attempted a coalition between Mickie James and Alexa Bliss in the past, but now both women are on two different brands.
While it is always possible for Mickie James to come over to RAW as a part of the Wild Card rule, it just dilutes the brand split in my opinion. Moreover, Mickie James hasn't even received a minute of screen time on SmackDown Live since the brand split, meaning that her brand has fallen.
This is why WWE may have decided to pair Nikki Cross, who's much younger and has a lot of potential to succeed, with Alexa Bliss. To an extent, WWE even attempted a pairing between Bliss and Alicia Fox for a while but it wasn't really a success.
I wonder how the Bliss and Cross pairing will be received.
