What’s the story?
According to the Wrestling Observer Radio, Nikki Bella is set to challenge for the SmackDown Women’s Championship soon. Former champion Becky Lynch may begin a feud with Mickie James. The person under the “Luchadora” costume on SmackDown Live is said to be Deonna Purrazzo but it may well a set-up to introduce Mickie James.
The WOR stated that if Becky begins a program with James, then Nikki Bella will be moving into the Championship picture very shortly.
In case you didn’t know...
Becky Lynch was attacked last week in her Championship rematch against Alexa Bliss by a mysterious character under the “Luchadora” costume. While Becky Lynch disguised herself as the “Luchadora” against Alexa Bliss the previous week (defeating the champion in a non-title match), the Luchadora that cost Becky Lynch her championship match against Bliss is not confirmed.
Also, Nikki Bella has just started a feud with Natalya, where Natalya admitted that she was the one who attacked her from behind at Survivor Series and took her spot in the 5-on-5 Survivor Series match.
The heart of the matter
Nikki Bella naturally has to finish up her feud with Natalya first before proceeding. It is very likely she is Alexa Bliss’ next challenge. Also, with Wrestlemania season approaching, WWE likes to get the big names out there, and Nikki Bella is as big as it comes in the SmackDown Live women’s division, so it won’t be surprising to see her chase the championship on the road to Wrestlemania.
What’s next?
It all depends on whether Nikki Bella wins the title or not. She won her feud against Carmella convincingly, and will more than likely beat Natalya in their feud. However, if she is to go on to face Alexa Bliss for the title, her feud with Natalya may be short lived. This means we could see Nikki Bella heading into Wrestlemania 33 as champion.
Sportskeeda’s Take...
While Nikki Bella has put up a far from convincing performance as a babyface since her return, it doesn’t change the fact that she gets the best reaction among the women on the SmackDown Live roster. The money match for that roster is Nikki Bella vs. Becky Lynch.
From the get-go, it was clear that Becky Lynch was positioned to be the top babyface of the SmackDown Live Women’s division.
Since Nikki is wrestling on borrowed time, Becky is still the long-term plan. Becky Lynch excels in her role as the babyface chasing the Championship. A true coronation at Wrestlemania by defeating Nikki Bella, the most popular female star on the roster would do wonders for Becky, SmackDown Live, and WWE.
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