Major changes due to Charlotte Flair's injury? - 4 reasons why Shotzi must move to WWE NXT in 2024
Women's wrestling in WWE has evolved a lot over the years. At one time, the division seemingly didn't receive the spotlight and was overlooked by many. The Divas era featured some memorable moments but did not receive the attention it deserved.
Things began to change in the mid-2010s. The Women's Revolution, which started in NXT, soon took over the main roster. Over the past decade, women have regularly headlined weekly television shows and massive events like WrestleMania.
Today's roster is more stacked than ever and includes some underrated performers like Shotzi. The SmackDown star has been with the promotion for around half a decade now, starting her main roster run in 2021. Despite that, her time on-screen has been largely inconsistent.
Given her creative direction on the main roster, a full-time move to NXT in 2024 may benefit her. After her inconsistent booking on the blue brand, she can regain her momentum in NXT. This article will examine four reasons why the talented performer should swap brands this year.
#4 Charlotte Flair recently got injured and may be sidelined for a long time
Some fans may not realize Shotzi has been a part of SmackDown for nearly three years. However, she has received short-lived pushes from the creative team, failing to become a permanent fixture in the main event scene.
The former champion's best and most sustained push came last year. Shotzi feuded with Damage CTRL, participated in the Women's WarGames match, and seemingly formed a friendship and tag team with Charlotte Flair. It looked as if Shotzi and Flair were about to pursue the WWE Women's Tag Team Title. Unfortunately for the 31-year-old, it did not materialize.
Flair and Asuka had a match on SmackDown, where the former got injured. The Queen has since undergone surgery and could be out of action until SummerSlam 2024. Hence, Shotzi seemingly doesn't have a proper creative direction in the veteran's absence. If she goes to NXT, she can kickstart a new storyline and feud with several up-and-coming names. It will prevent her from being lost in the shuffle.
#3 She has never won the WWE NXT Women's Championship
Shotzi has only held one title since joining WWE. On March 10, 2021, she teamed up with Ember Moon to take on the NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai. Moon and the SmackDown star won the bout and the coveted gold.
The pair had a relatively short reign with the belt, holding it for just 55 days before losing it to The Way. Since then, she has yet to capture another championship and may have unfinished business in the white-and-gold brand.
Despite being a regular on WWE NXT at one point, Shotzi never won the brand's top title for females. Today, Lyra Valkyria is the NXT Women's Champion. Shotzi could chase the title after she recovers from her injury.
#2 Shotzi can team up with Gigi Dolin, which may benefit both women
Shotzi's move to WWE NXT could be a career-changing decision for her and another popular star.
The 31-year-old should head to NXT to form a tag team with Gigi Dolin. For those unaware, Gigi Dolin was one-third of Toxic Attraction alongside Jacy Jayne and Mandy Rose. After the group disbanded, she became a solo performer in the white-and-gold brand.
Gigi regularly competes on Main Event, which could mean she will be called to the main roster soon. A path for her main roster run may have been laid out at a recent NXT event where she teamed up with Shotzi.
With their unique in-ring style and presentation, the pair could be a perfect team. They could get their sea legs in NXT by winning tag team gold together before going to RAW or SmackDown full-time. The Women's Tag Team Championship scene has been in the spotlight lately, and they could only make it better.
#1 NXT can be a good place for her to heal up, depending on the nature of her recent injury
As mentioned earlier, Shotzi suffered an injury last night. She competed against Lyra Valkyria on an episode of WWE NXT that will air next week. Something unfortunately went awry, and the match was called off.
Shotzi suffered some kind of leg injury during the abovementioned contest. According to reports, the situation is serious, as she is allegedly in much pain and couldn't put any pressure on her leg at all. In fact, the former champion had to hop her way to the back.
While the injury is indeed unfortunate, NXT could be the best place for her to recover. WWE Performance Center has physical therapy, high-end workout equipment, and rings to facilitate her return to action in the future. While hurt, she could appear in non-wrestling roles on the Tuesday night program to build up a future feud.