5 WWE Superstars who could win the NXT Women's Championship for the first time this year
The WWE NXT Women's Championship has slowly become one of the most prestigious championships in professional women's wrestling. Some would argue that it is only behind the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships in terms of prestige.
The title was first introduced in 2013. On the July 24th edition of NXT, Paige defeated Emma to become the inaugural NXT Women's Champion. Since then, some of the very best female superstars have held the gold, including Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Asuka, Rhea Ripley, and IYO SKY, among others.
Mandy Rose is the current reigning NXT Women's Champion. She captured the title by defeating Raquel Rodriguez at the NXT Halloween Havoc TV special. Mandy is now over 300 days into her championship reign, and she's defeated many top prospects who have underestimated the leader of Toxic Attraction.
The NXT Women's Championship represents opportunity and growth. With so many talented stars on WWE's developmental brand, there's a strong chance that whoever dethrones Mandy will be a first-time champion. Not only that, but the title could change hands before 2022 comes to an end.
Below are 5 WWE Superstars who could win the NXT Women's Championship for the first time this year.
#5. Blair Davenport could dominate the brand
Blair Davenport was born in England and raised in New Zealand. She began her professional wrestling career in 2012. Over the next several years, she wrestled in multiple continents and across many countries, including Japan and England.
The 26-year old star signed with WWE at the beginning of the summer in 2021. Davenport was initially a member of the NXT UK roster and she was in a rivalry with Meiko Satomura when she suffered an injury. With NXT UK no longer active, Blair is a member of the NXT roster.
At NXT Worlds Collide, Blair was in a triple threat match with Meiko Satomura and Mandy Rose. While the talented Davenport lost the match, she proved how capable she is to those unfamiliar with her talent. Blair is a special superstar who could go on to win the NXT Women's Championship in the near future. She's certainly talented enough to lead the division.
#4. Roxanne Perez has a lot of potential
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Roxanne Perez began her professional wrestling training at just 13 years old. Years later, she'd have her first match in 2018. The talented rookie quickly found success on the independent wrestling scene. She eventually began working for Ring of Honor and even competed for Impact Wrestling.
The 20-year old Perez signed with WWE earlier this year. She almost immediately began competing on NXT Level Up and the main NXT program. Since joining World Wrestling Entertainment, Roxanne has won the NXT Breakout Tournament and the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles alongside Cora Jade.
While Roxanne Perez has challenged Mandy Rose for the title before, the situation wasn't exactly fair. Perez had to deal with Cora Jade betraying her, which derailed her chances of winning the title. Still, if Cora and Roxanne clash with Perez winning, she may be in line for another championship opportunity.
#3. Nikkita Lyons was already being groomed for WWE SmackDown
Nikkita Lyons began her professional wrestling career in 2018 as a member of the WOW (Women of Wrestling) roster. She had fourteen matches with the company before the pandemic hit, slowing her momentum.
Lyons signed with WWE in 2021 and had her first match on the last day of the year on the 205 Live brand. She has since gone on to become a regular on NXT. The 23-year old star was set to participate in the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament alongside Zoey Stark, but the two were replaced due to an injury.
Despite Nikkita's inexperience, she's rapidly become a favorite among NXT fans. Social media adores the talented woman, as does the NXT Universe who attend live events. With her size, skill, and popularity, she may be on the fast-track to the top. Don't be surprised to see Nikkita Lyons win a major championship sooner rather than later. That title may just end up being the NXT Women's Championship.
#2. Cora Jade is on fire as a heel
Cora Jade first broke into professional wrestling in 2018 when she was still a teenager. She wrestled on the independent scene before making a handful of appearances for IMPACT Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling.
The 21-year old star was hired by WWE in 2021. She competed on 205 Live and primarily on NXT where she's found success. Jade is a former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion and a top prospect on the brand.
Ever since turning heel, Cora Jade's push has reached new heights. Jade is clearly on a path to the top of the brand and her newly found aggression will likely lead her to championship gold. While she's lost to Mandy Rose in multi-woman bouts, a fair one-on-one fight could favor Jade.
#1. Meiko Satomura could be NXT's Final Boss
Meiko Satomura is one of the longest tenured veterans in WWE today. She began her professional wrestling career all the way back in 1995. She has competed in numerous companies in Japan and around the world, including a brief stint in World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
The 42-year old veteran first appeared on WWE programming in 2018 when she participated in the Mae Young Classic. She joined World Wrestling Entertainment full-time in 2020. In 2021, she captured the NXT UK Women's Championship.
With NXT UK discontinued, Meiko may become a regular on the NXT brand. The talented star has a lot to offer behind the scenes, but she'd be a fantastic top champion for the brand. While she was unsuccessful at NXT Worlds Collide, Mandy Rose pinned Blair, not Meiko. As a result, The Final Boss may still challenge Rose to a one-on-one match. If the bout takes place, Satomura will become both the champion and NXT's Final Boss.
Will Mandy Rose lose the NXT Women's Championship before 2022 comes to a close? If so, who might be the one to defeat her for the gold? Could it be somebody on thiseach very list? Everyone will have to keep tuned to WWE NXT to find out.
Who do you think will win the NXT Women's Championship next? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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