Top 5 Biggest questions from this week’s WWE RAW, NXT, and SmackDown
With just a few days left for WWE Royal Rumble, WWE tried to deliver some solid episodes of RAW, NXT, and SmackDown this week. While RAW and SmackDown will go full force into the 2021 Royal Rumble, NXT will likely play a much smaller role on Sunday.
On WWE RAW, the company allowed several more Superstars to declare their entry into the Royal Rumble Matches ahead of Sunday’s pay-per-view. One big announcement could have been held back for the event, but it was revealed on the red brand instead. Otherwise, RAW also featured a few matches that had some questionable finishes.
On Wednesday, The WWE NXT Women’s Champion was attacked by two potential challengers. Elsewhere, Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly defeated the NXT Tag Team Champions in a non-title match. How long will the alliance between "The Prince" and "The Undisputed ERA" last?
Over on WWE SmackDown, Roman Reigns got under Kevin Owens’ skin and got him worked up ahead of their match at the Royal Rumble. Plus, Bianca Belair decisively defeated former SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley. Will "The EST" win the Royal Rumble Match on Sunday?
Here' a look at the five biggest questions ahead of the Royal Rumble and next week’s shows.
#5 Where does Shayna Baszler stand in WWE today?
Shayna Baszler was once seen as the most ruthless force in WWE NXT. Her NXT Women’s Championship reign helped her get a lot of exposure, and she shined as as the toughest female champion in WWE.
After her victory at WWE Survivor Series 2019, it seemed like nothing could stop Baszler from becoming the most dominant force in women’s wrestling. While matches against Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey were seen as dream matches for "The Queen of Spades", RAW decided to book her in a questionable match last week.
Baszler competed against Flair in a singles match that could have been set as a WrestleMania main event down the line. But it didn’t take long for Nia Jax to get involved in the match and end it via a disqualification.
A six-woman tag team match followed this finish, and the bout ended in a count-out loss for Baszler and her team. When the match was restarted, Jax managed to win the final leg of the segment for her team.
While Baszler once had a long undefeated streak, it seems like the creative team doesn't know what to do her anymore. Where does "The Queen of Spades" stand in WWE right now?
Last year, fans expected Baszler to win the WWE RAW Women’s title sooner rather than later. But what she has done since her WrestleMania debut has been fairly lackluster. Her rivalry with Jax turned into a partnership, and they held the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships for a while. Baszler has also taken a few losses to Dana Brooke.
Baszler’s reputation on the main roster isn’t bulletproof like Flair, Becky Lynch, or Bayley. As a result, WWE management needs to figure out how it wants to book her going forward.