Major feud with former tag team partner, team-up with underutilized star - 5 ways to utilize Nikki Cross in WWE's women's division
Nikki Cross is one of the most exciting WWE Superstars in the promotion today. Her character is unpredictable, which makes her must-see whenever she appears on-screen. Unfortunately, she hasn't been on-screen very often.
Technically, Cross is seen on Monday Night RAW almost weekly, but only briefly. She's involved in a story of some kind with Candice LeRae, but it is being told slowly and in the background, thus leaving her mostly out of sight and out of mind.
While Nikki isn't being utitlized to the best of her ability, she did start gaining some momentum last year. She returned to her Twisted Sister persona, dropping the superhero gimmick she had previously. This even led to her competing at Survivor Series WarGames.
There's no doubt that Cross has lost a little momentum in the first quarter of 2023. Still, it won't be difficult to get her back in a significant role. This article will look at a handful of ways to utilize The Twisted Sister in WWE moving forward.
Below are five ways to utilize Nikki Cross in WWE's women's division.
#5. She could feud with Candice LeRae
Candice LeRae is one of the most talented female athletes on WWE RAW. She first began wrestling professionally over 20 years ago and has plenty of experience, although her time on the main roster has been relatively short.
LeRae has only had a handful of short feuds since joining RAW, but as noted previously on this list, there's been an ongoing story of some kind between herself and Nikki Cross. The Twisted Sister has been stalking Candice for months now.
Due to Nikki's unpredictable nature, her following Candice around could lead to a proper rivalry between the two. LeRae could be annoyed or even creeped out by the behavior, which could then lead to a series of intense matches. This could give both women momentum.
#4. Nikki Cross could return to WWE NXT
Nikki Cross was a world-traveled competitor before joining WWE, but it could be argued that her career truly took off once she joined the NXT brand. There, Nikki was a member of the Sanity faction.
Once Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, and Killian Dain moved to WWE's main roster, Nikki was left behind on the black & gold brand. While there, she had a memorable feud with Asuka and even found her way into various other rivalries. Her time on NXT was just plain fun.
The former Money in the Bank winner could return to NXT and feud with some of the top names there now. Every match would be fresh and her veteran experience could help many of the women develop. Plus, she never managed to win gold on NXT. Could that change if she goes back tomorrow?
#3. She could team up with Candice LeRae and chase tag team gold
As noted, Nikki Cross has been stalking Candice LeRae on WWE RAW. While very little has been explained, there was one segment that potentially offered some insight.
Candice confronted Nikki about what she was doing. Cross then quietly revealed to LeRae that Nikki didn't have any friends left. She is no longer friends with Alexa Bliss & Rhea Ripley, plus Sanity are long gone. Everything there tracks.
Instead of The Poison Pixie and The Twisted Sister feuding, they could end up bonding and becoming friends. In many ways, Nikki & Candice could be the female version of Dexter Lumis & Johnny Gargano. It could make for fun television.
#2. Nikki could feud with Bianca Belair over the RAW Women's Championship
Bianca Belair is the reigning WWE RAW Women's Champion. The EST first won the title at WrestleMania 38 last year and has held the coveted belt for over a year now. Bianca has been a dominant champion.
Stars such as Asuka, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Alexa Bliss, Sonya Deville, and Bayley have all fallen to the charismatic and athletic marvel. With so many stars crushed by the champion, a new kind of challenger could step up to Bianca.
Nikki Cross would offer a completely different kind of opponent for Bianca. She's WWE's wild child with a chaotic nature that can't be matched. If Belair can't predict what Nikki will do, she may be unable to beat her. Either way, the feud would be a great way to boost Cross.
#1. Cross could move to SmackDown and feud with Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley is the WWE SmackDown Women's Champion. She first captured the belt at WrestleMania 39 when she defeated Charlotte Flair in a bout that many believe was the match of the weekend.
The Eradicator could be Nikki's next target. While Cross has held the RAW Women's Championship, she's never held SmackDown's belt. The feud would also make sense given their history together.
Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley were the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions together. They lost the titles and split up, but never developed a proper feud. Rhea just beat Nikki up and moved on. This could allow the two to further pursue their past.