WWE Rumor Roundup: Former Intercontinental champion makes in-ring return, stipulation added to Seth Rollins vs The Fiend and more – 19th October 2019

Backstage news on plans for the women's division

Big plans!

Dave Meltzer has some interesting backstage updates on the future of the women's division. He reports that the plan for Charlotte Flair on Monday Night RAW is to be a face despite starting off as a heel this week.

Meanwhile, Kairi Sane and Asuka, the women's tag-team champions, are expected to be working in singles action as well. Asuka vs Becky Lynch is reportedly the long-term plan. Natalya could also turn heel – something that was planned last year – as per the report.

On SmackDown, the shortage of faces in the women's division is reportedly set to make Sasha Banks or Lacey Evans the face of the show. Banks is currently back with her best friend and current SmackDown women's champion, Bayley – who is working as a heel.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter report read:

Even though Flair worked as a heel against Lynch, the plan is for her to be a babyface. There is a clear imbalance and heel weakness, although it won’t be if Asuka and Sane work singles, and there has been a clear set up for both to work with Lynch. There’s also the possibility of Natalya as a heel, which was the plan last year to lead to a major program with Ronda Rousey, until Vince McMahon nixed it when Jim Neidhart died and he felt Natalya shouldn’t be turned.

With Asuka and Kairi Sane on RAW, while tag champions, expect both at times to be featured in singles. Lynch vs. Asuka is a planned direction at some point, and Sane pinned Lynch in a tag match on television as well. The women’s face side on SmackDown is very weak. That could indicate either Banks turning, since Bayley vs. Banks seems like the big women’s match on SmackDown, or Evans turning, since she worked as a face this week on RAW.