4 possible directions for Cora Jade following her surprise WWE return at NXT Deadline 2023 - Major new faction to form?
WWE has had many epic returns as of late. CM Punk and Randy Orton are arguably the two most notable, with both men returning at Survivor Series: WarGames. The likes of R-Truth, Kairi Sane, and Carlito have all had comebacks as of late too.
Another big return took place at NXT Deadline 2023, which was held in Bridgeport, Connecticut on Saturday night. This came following the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge Match, which was won by Blair Davenport.
After Davenport won the bout, thus earning herself a title opportunity, Lyra Valkyria appeared on the stage. She stood there eyeing her new contender, only to be jumped from behind by the returning Cora Jade. From there, Jade held up the NXT Women's Championship.
The return had been months in the making, as Cora last competed back in July. Now, fans are eager to see what comes next for the former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion. This article will look at a handful of directions for her following her surprise comeback.
Below are four directions for Cora Jade following her surprise WWE return at NXT Deadline 2023.
#4. She could challenge Lyra Valkyria for the WWE NXT Women's Championship
Perhaps the most obvious direction she could take upon returning to WWE television is to challenge the woman she attacked. Cora Jade could begin a new rivalry with the reigning NXT Women's Champion Lyra Valkyria.
There are some hurdles that could delay this rivalry, however. As noted, Blair Davenport is the new number one contender. She earned a title shot after defeating Lash Legend, Fallon Henley, Tiffany Stratton, and Kelani Jordan at WWE NXT Deadline 2023.
The bout between Lyra and Blair is scheduled for NXT New Years Evil next month. Instead of it going down as planned, however, Cora could find herself added to the bout. This could then make their contest a Triple Threat Match for the coveted prize. Otherwise, Cora and Lyra could fight afterwards.
#3. Cora Jade could target Kelani James with Dana Brooke now gone
Prior to Cora Jade leaving NXT for five months, she was in a feud with Dana Brooke. The former WWE 24/7 Champion was mentoring the-then brand new Kelani Jordan, trying to help the rookie develop.
Ultimately, Cora and Dana had a brutal match, using a kendo stick as a weapon. Brooke ended up winning and Jade left WWE television after. Shortly thereafter, Dana was released by World Wrestling Entertainment. In the meantime, Kelani has evolved and grown on NXT.
There's a chance that Jade will want to right what she likely perceives to be a wrong from her experience prior to her break. While she can't get revenge on Dana Brooke, she could target Kelani Jordan, and attempt to beat up Dana's former protege.
#2. She could make up with Roxanne Perez
Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade have an interesting history together in WWE. They both came into the company younger than almost anybody else, yet had some in-ring experience on the indies. This led to the pair quickly bonding.
From there, they began teaming up together, and even won the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles. Unfortunately, their bond in WWE shattered when Cora turned on Roxanne, going as far as to throw her half of the coveted tag team titles into a trash can.
The pair went on to have a heated rivalry and continue to take shots at each other on social media. Still, fans love a good reunion and these two getting past their issues to take on the rest of NXT could be a great story.
#1. Cora could start a stable
If all else fails, Cora Jade could do something that is all the rage in WWE these days. The former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion could decide to unite with other superstars in the company and form a stable of some kind.
When Jade attacked Lyra Valkyria on the stage and stared at Blair Davenport, many in the WWE Universe assumed that meant there could be animosity between Blair and Cora too. The opposite may be true, however. Blair and Cora may be part of a new stable. Both do attack random stars, so they have that in common.
As for any additional members of the crew, Xia Li has been absent from television after losing to Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria. Xia returning as their muscle could make for a fun trio that could also dominate the company moving forward.