Opinion
Has Shayna Baszler Finally Met Her Match With Rhea Ripley in NXT?
Rhea Ripley recently came face-to-face with NXT Women’s champion Shayna Baszler. The Australian Superstar and first-ever NXT UK Women’s champion interrupted Baszler and her fellow Horsewomen in the middle of the ring, as the live audience voiced its approval.
Rhea Ripley recently came face-to-face with NXT Women’s champion Shayna Baszler. The Australian Superstar and first-ever NXT UK Women’s champion interrupted Baszler and her fellow Horsewomen in the middle of the ring, as the live audience voiced its approval.
That confrontation did not get physical, but it was immediately obvious that WWE was onto something. For the first time since Baszler’s reign over the women’s division began, she had truly run into a roadblock. So is Rhea Ripley the one who will finally take Shayna Baszler down?
The reaction from the Full Sail crowd during this segment is proof positive of just how effective WWE booking can be when done correctly. Baszler has run roughshod over every woman put in her path and she’s done so with the arrogant brutality that only she can deliver. Fans respect her toughness and they recognize her confidence, but they also want to see her fall.
The desire to see her lose is directly tied to how she’s been presented, as well as her work to get over. Shayna has no redeeming qualities as a character and she’s been nearly unbeatable as champion. When both of those facts are combined with her penchant for using Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke as backup, Shayna automatically becomes public enemy No.1.
She’s done an excellent job of playing her role and making fans hate her in the process. The worse she is, the more they want to see her put in her place. Baszler has drawn comparisons to Brock Lesnar in the past and with very good reason. As good as she is, the WWE faithful can’t wait for the moment when she meets her match. Is that what’s happening now?
Indeed, Rhea Ripley is unlike anyone Baszler has worked to this point. Ripley is not the typical babyface challenger and she’s not exactly a fan favorite. She’s known as a punishing heel in her own right and she’s decimated her fair share of opponents in NXT UK. But Ripley and Baszler simply cannot coexist without going to war.
Rhea is the Alpha Female every time she’s in the room. Much like Baszler, Ripley must be on top and she takes pride in being the toughest woman on the roster. But Rhea’s self-confidence is tested by Baszler, simply by virtue of the fact that the two share the same space. Ripley doesn’t like another woman taking the spotlight and she made that abundantly clear.
By contrast, Baszler feels that no one is a threat to her and that includes Rhea Ripley. Shayna has every reason to believe that Ripley will crumble like all the rest and why wouldn’t she? No one has been able to withstand Baszler in the long run, especially with Shafir and Duke waiting in the wings. The trio is fully capable of destroying everyone in their way and they do it all the time.
The fact is that Rhea Ripley is the one with something to prove. She is walking into Baszler’s territory, which means she’s the outsider. Shayna is the one calling the shots and she is in full control of the situation. But unlike Ripley, Baszler has everything to lose. If she goes down to Rhea, she loses her championship. But will WWE go this route?
Just as many fans want to see Brock Lesnar lose in the end, they also know that it rarely ever happens. The only man that has decisively beaten Lesnar besides Roman Reigns and lived to talk about it, is Seth Rollins. The current Universal champion took the title from Brock on two separate occasions and Seth’s most recent win over The Beast Incarnate was the most decisive. WWE seems to have finally exposed Brock Lesnar as being human after all.
So is Rhea Ripley Shayna Baszler’s Seth Rollins? Is Ripley the one who will meet Baszler on her own terms and raise her game to that of the champ’s? Or is Ripley the Samoa Joe to Baszler’s Brock Lesnar?
Like Samoa Joe, Ripley is tougher than leather and has a massive chip on her shoulder. Neither Superstar backs down and that makes them popular with fans as a result. But in the end, none of that made a difference for Joe. The Samoan Submission Machine lost to Brock Lesnar and The Beast rampaged on to his next opponent. Will Rhea Ripley share that same fate?
WWE has a very intriguing feud in the works with Shayna Baszler versus Rhea Ripley. It’s the kind of rivalry that can wrap up the run of a dominant heel champion, while making a new star in the process. Both women could benefit from this and if it happens, fans may see the crowning of a new NXT Women’s champion.
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
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