Major feud featuring Becky Lynch to be interrupted? - 3 reasons why Kiana James should not be the next WWE NXT Women's Champion
WWE is focusing a lot on their female superstars this week. While the company is occasionally under fire by fans for not using their women's divisions to their fullest potential, the promotion has made definite positive strides this week.
Monday Night RAW's main event saw Becky Lynch and Zoey Stark clash in an epic Falls Count Anywhere Match, with Trish Stratus ringside. NXT then featured an all-women's main event, with Gigi Dolin, Kiana James, Blair Davenport, and Roxanne Perez battling to become number one contender.
The four woman bout was fantastic, but the winner was certainly unexpected. Kiana James walked away with the win, and will now challenge Tiffany Stratton for the NXT Women's Championship. Their bout is scheduled to take place next week.
While there's a chance that the NXT Women's Championship will change hands next Tuesday, Shawn Michaels and the rest of the NXT booking team should avoid making that move. This article will look at a handful of reasons why Tiffany needs to retain her title when the pair clash next week.
Below are three reasons why Kiana James should not be the next WWE NXT Women's Champion.
#3. Kiana James needs more consistent build on WWE programming
Kiana James is an extremely talented performer despite being rather new to the industry. She debuted in pro wrestling in 2021, and had her first match with WWE in 2022. She was trained by Tyler Breeze and AEW's Shawn Spears.
Becoming the number one contender for the NXT Women's Championship is certainly the biggest opportunity of her career. She has competed on Premium Live Events and even held the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles, but this is her biggest solo spotlight yet.
Still, she hasn't actually had much of a push as a solo star in WWE. Before Kiana James can win the coveted NXT Women's Championship, she needs to pick up more singles wins. A couple of serious feuds could also benefit her stock within the promotion.
#2. Tiffany Stratton needs to have a longer run as champion
Tiffany Stratton will likely be on top of WWE for a very long. Provided that injuries don't rear their ugly head, and she remains committed, there's no doubt she will be a major player in the company for years to come.
She made her in-ring debut in 2021 and two years later, is the top female star in NXT. Not only that, she's consistently featured in marketing for NXT on the USA Network. Tiffany is also the reigning NXT Women's Champion, having won the belt at NXT Battleground three months ago.
Since her big win, she has successfully defended her title against Thea Hail, albeit with some controversy. Overall, however, some believe this title run has been lackluster. For Stratton to lose the belt this soon, without enough major matches under her belt, would be a massive disservice to herself, the division, and the fans.
While Kiana is a great performer, putting the title on her now could be a mistake in the long run. Tiffany must be the WWE NXT Women's Champion for a while longer, to establish herself as the real deal, and not a flash in the pan.
#1. Becky Lynch vs. Tiffany Stratton is the ideal next feud
Perhaps the biggest, and most important, reason why Kiana James shouldn't win the WWE NXT Women's Championship is that it would seemingly disrupt a new story being told. Tiffany Stratton seemingly has a date with destiny, in the form of a match against Becky Lynch.
The story started when Tiffany name-dropped Lynch in a promo, while putting down former NXT Women's Champions. When she was later corrected, and informed that Becky never held the title, Stratton insulted The Man and pretended that the legendary figure was unimportant.
From there, Becky hinted at a possible bout between the two on social media, while acknowledging that she'd like to win one of the few belts she hasn't yet held. Then, Tiffany appeared in the crowd during the most recent episode of WWE RAW, clearly watching the main event featuring Big Time Becks with intent. Needless to say, their big match could soon be on the horizon.
Simply put, there is already too much intrigue in a feud between Tiffany Stratton and Becky Lynch. To change the title now would disrupt it. Sure, Tiffany could then fight Becky on the main roster, but the idea of The Man attempting to win the title she's yet to hold is far too appealing to pivot away from. Kiana's time will come soon, but just not yet.