4 signs WWE will soon introduce a Women's Intercontinental Championship
Women in WWE have seen a lot of changes in the past decade or so. NXT saw the Divas Revolution which later became the Women's Evolution movement. Since then, female stars have started to be treated far more equally to their male counterparts.
A great example of this is the wealth of championships women can win on the main roster. SmackDown has a world title, as does RAW. There is also the Women's Tag Team Title and the Speed Women's Championship, which was introduced fairly recently.
Another new title was just announced: the Women's United States Championship. The design of the title is based on the Men's United States Championship but with a white strap instead of the standard black one.
With this new title, Triple H and company officials might be introducing one more belt into the mix: the Women's Intercontinental Championship. This article will take a look at four signs that may confirm the belt is coming to World Wrestling Entertainment and, more specifically, Monday Night RAW.
Below are four signs WWE will soon introduce a Women's Intercontinental Championship.
#4. Possible contenders received special video packages on RAW
One surefire way to tell that WWE plans to push certain stars is the use of video packages and special promos to highlight the performers. This implies that they are telling a story with the talent and that Triple H wants the wrestlers to further connect with the audience.
WWE Monday Night RAW this week featured two major video packages for female stars who aren't quite in the main event picture. Both Dakota Kai and Lyra Valkyria were given special packages with both revealing their goals in World Wrestling Entertainment.
This kind of shine on the mid-card is always nice, but it is likely a sign that the Women's Intercontinental Championship is soon on the way. The Damage CTRL member and the former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion are both likely candidates to win the title if introduced, so highlighting them makes a lot of sense.
#3. WWE's women's division dominated television last week
Women's wrestling in WWE went hard last week. It all started on Monday Night RAW, where the opening match of the night saw Damage CTRL take on Pure Fusion Collective. The women then main evented, with Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez challenging Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill for gold.
NXT continued the strong week for women's wrestling. Jakara Jackson and Lash Legend took on Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer in the opener, plus Fallon Henley challenged Kelani Jordan in the main event.
Friday Night SmackDown also opened and closed with women's wrestling. Candice LeRae, Bayley, and B-Fab opened the WWE show in a Triple Threat Match while Naomi vs. Nia Jax was the last bout of the night.
This emphasis on women's wrestling shows Triple H and the company's dedication to the female stars. It also likely points to a new title being introduced, both because it shows the company's faith in the performers, but also because Triple H is trying to highlight the women's roster.
#2. The Women's United States Championship Tournament only features SmackDown stars
The biggest indicator that a Women's Intercontinental Championship will soon be coming to WWE and Monday Night RAW is the newly announced Women's United States Title. That belt was introduced by Nick Aldis and the brackets have been revealed.
The 12 stars competing in the tournament include Bayley, B-Fab, Candice LeRae, Bianca Belair, Chelsea Green, Blair Davenport, Elektra Lopez, Tiffany Stratton, Naomi, Piper Niven, Michin, and Jade Cargill. Notably, all 12 performers are part of WWE SmackDown.
If the Women's United States Championship was the only title for the female stars of World Wrestling Entertainment to pursue, the tournament would have included names from RAW. The fact that everybody gunning for the new belt is SmackDown exclusive performers indicates a new title could be on the way.
#1. RAW and SmackDown are generally presented as equal
In relation to the previous point, the WWE Women's United States Championship featuring just SmackDown talent means one key thing: the belt is almost certainly exclusive to the blue brand.
This is similar to how the men's titles operate. LA Knight and the United States Championship is exclusive to Friday Night SmackDown while Bron Breakker and the Intercontinental Title are exclusive to RAW.
For every title on SmackDown, there is a RAW counterpoint, and vice versa. Both brands are generally treated as equal in WWE. If that remains the case moving forward, SmackDown receiving a mid-card title for their women's division means RAW too should get one. The only question is when the next belt could be announced. Perhaps the gold could be revealed during the RAW on Netflix debut show?