Absent former champion finally returning? - 5 WWE Superstars who could team up with Raquel Rodriguez following Liv Morgan's injury
Fans received bad news regarding the health of a top WWE Superstar on the latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown. After Liv Morgan was revealed to be injured on RAW, it has since been confirmed that she will be out of action for the time being.
As a result of The Miracle Kid's injury, the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles are being held up. Raquel Rodriguez and Liv, the now-former champions, have vacated the titles and a big-time match has been announced to determine the next set of champions.
Raquel Rodriguez and a mystery partner will battle Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai, and Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville to crown new champions. Before that, however, Raquel and her mystery partner will be in action on next week's edition of SmackDown.
The blue brand immediately prior to Night of Champions will see Raquel and whomever her partner will be battle IYO SKY and Bayley. With two big matches coming up, Raquel's partner must be able to deliver the goods in the ring. Who might her new teammate be?
Below are five WWE Superstars who could team up with Raquel Rodriguez following Liv Morgan's injury.
#5. Tegan Nox deserves an opportunity
Tegan Nox is a veteran of the squared circle. She's been wrestling for about a decade now and has experience. She has wrestled in the indies, in NXT UK, NXT, the Mae Young Classic, Friday Night SmackDown, and soon, Monday Night RAW.
The Girl With The Shiniest Wizard was released by WWE in 2021 but was re-signed in 2022. She initially targeted Damage CTRL, but she has since moved to Monday Night RAW and therefore doesn't yet have a clear direction.
Nox could be Raquel's next partner. Rodriguez has shown success working with both Aliyah and Liv Morgan in the past, and Tegan certainly has a similar style to both. Could the underdog and powerhouse formula work for a third time?
#4. Piper Niven and Raquel Rodriguez could be unstoppable
Piper Niven is a blend of power and surprising agility. The Scottish wrestler is a former 24/7 Champion who has competed on NXT UK and Monday Night RAW. She's also competed in the Mae Young Classic.
The powerful WWE Superstar returned to action in the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble Match where she had an impressive showing. While she competed a handful of times since then, her push hasn't been consistent.
Is there any women's team that would be more intimidating than Piper Niven and Raquel Rodriguez? Their size and strength advantage would likely be too much for anybody else to withstand, which could make for an interesting story for the division moving forward.
#3. Nikki Cross is a multi-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion
Nikki Cross gone wild in Greensboro, NC!! #wwe #nikkicross https://t.co/a7c5qoTFtt
Nikki Cross is a decorated superstar. She's a multi-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, having won the gold with both Alexa Bliss and Rhea Ripley. She's also a former RAW Women's Champion and Miss Money In The Bank.
The Twisted Sister returned to her more wicked persona late last year after a long stint as Nikki A.S.H. She has since been involved in a slow-moving story with Candice LeRae, where the two may end up becoming friends.
An interesting twist in that dynamic could come with Nikki teaming up with Raquel. Candice and Indi will almost definitely be a duo on WWE television moving forward. Will Nikki and Candice actually become friends or could the two teams feud? There's interesting possibilities if the company takes this direction.
#2. Shotzi would make for a logical partner
Shotzi is one of the most daring stars on WWE's roster. The green-haired superstar will throw her body around and take risks that most wrestlers in the women's division, or any division, simply won't.
The Ballsy Badass has gotten a bit more of a push on WWE programming over the past nine or so months, but she's still not quite reached the next level. She was selected by Friday Night SmackDown to remain on the brand in the 2023 draft.
Raquel Rodriguez needs a partner and Shotzi has worked with the likes of Tegan Nox and Natalya in the past, so she's no stranger to tag team competition. In fact, both Raquel and Shotzi are former NXT Women's Tag Team Champions. Could the pair gel as a duo?
#1. Aliyah could return from her long absence
@WWE Let’s run it back again with Raquel’s former partner @WWE_Aliyah https://t.co/YrGhP49Oba
Aliyah is a talented WWE Superstar, although she's rarely seen on television. She joined the main roster in 2021 and even won tag team gold alongside Raquel of all people, but her push never seems to remain a constant. In fact, she hasn't even been featured in ages.
Unfortunately, the Canadian wrestler hasn't been seen in months and there's no sign of that changing. Her last match was on September 12th, 2022 when she and Raquel Rodriguez lost the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles to Damage CTRL.
Given how her last appearance went, it would make a lot of sense for Aliyah to not only return to action, but do so as Raquel's partner against two members of Damage CTRL on SmackDown. Could she finally get revenge for the stable taking her out of action?