32-year-old SmackDown star to surprisingly step up to challenge Damage CTRL? Exploring potential scenario
A 32-year-old WWE Superstar could surprisingly step up to Damage CTRL on SmackDown in the weeks ahead.
Damage CTRL has added two new members to their already powerful faction. Iyo Sky successfully defended the WWE Women's Championship against Bianca Belair last weekend at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. Bayley was ringside and kept interfering in the match, but Bianca Belair wouldn't stay down. However, Kairi Sane made her shocking return to the company and helped The Genius of the Sky retain the title.
This past Friday on WWE SmackDown, Asuka teamed with Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair to take on Damage CTRL. However, Asuka betrayed her teammates and was revealed to be joining the group as well. While Damage CTRL continues to grow stronger, the Latino World Order is on the verge of falling apart on the blue brand.
Zelina Vega is a part of the LWO faction and was despondent after Santos Escobar betrayed Rey Mysterio at Crown Jewel and attacked him again on SmackDown. Vega could feel compelled to try and bring a championship to the struggling faction to get things back on track.
She challenged Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's championship earlier this year at WWE Backlash and gave The Eradicator everything she could handle. Despite losing at Backlash, Vega proved that she could compete against the best in the division and could decide to step up to Damage CTRL on SmackDown.
A victory for Vega would lead to her being taken seriously as a singles competitor, as well as show that LWO is still a viable faction on SmackDown despite their recent issues.
Former WWE manager Dutch Mantell compliments Damage CTRL
Wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell recently praised Damage CTRL and added that Bayley has been doing a great job as the leader of the faction.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk show, Mantell admitted that the heel group has grown on him over time. The veteran stated that Bayley is great at running her mouth and that he is looking forward to seeing how their storyline progresses on SmackDown.
"I do like that team though. It's like anything else, when you get something new, the first time you see it, you go, 'Meh, I don't know. It's okay.' Then they do something else. And when they do something that really just shakes the boat, you'll get on board with it. They're likable. Bayley is great. Bayley is out there running her mouth, you kind of like her anyway. So, I'll see where they go." [From 37:25 - 38:15]
You can check out the video below:
Zelina Vega has vowed to become a singles champion in WWE despite coming up short several times. It will be interesting to see when the former Women's Tag Team Champion finally captures her first singles title with the company down the line.
Do you think Zelina Vega is underutilized in WWE? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.