Nia Jax could face major competition after WWE RAW's move to Netflix, says legend
The competition will be strong for Women's Champion Nia Jax as WrestleMania season draws near. Moreover, anything can happen within the next two months as WWE is gearing up for its mammoth deal with Netflix to officially commence.
According to Tommy Dreamer, Rhea Ripley could move to SmackDown to freshen things up. She can start a program with The Irresistible Force, with whom she displayed good chemistry earlier this year as the two headlined Elimination Chamber: Perth in February. Although Jax lost that match to the home country hero, the 40-year-old is on another level now, as she nears 150 days with the WWE Women's Title.
Speaking on the Busted Open podcast, Tommy Dreamer articulated that if Ripley were to lose her inevitable showdown with Women's World Champion Liv Morgan, then she needs to move on to the rival brand. The veteran also noted that their rivalry has gone on for too long and has to end, no matter who walks away with the victory and the belt:
"Rhea [Ripley] going over to SmackDown, maybe something with Nia [Jax], could be very very interesting," Tommy Dreamer said. "And add a whole new dynamic if their going to switch. It all depends really on what they want to represent, and basically who does Netflix want," he added. [From 24:46 to 25:01]
As of this writing, The Eradicator has announced she is the new number-one contender, but the match has not been made official. Many believe the January 6, 2025, episode of WWE RAW, which marks the show's Netflix debut, is the destination point for Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan.
Nia Jax was exposed at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames; Dutch Mantell weighs in
During the Women's WarGames match at Survivor Series on November 30, Women's Champion Nia Jax hit a few chair shots to her rival Naomi. The execution left a lot to be desired.
Speaking on Story Time With Dutch Mantell, the veteran urged the WWE Universe to cut the women some slack. He stated that the company does not get everything right at all times. However, the decision to have The Irresistible Force work a 30-minute plus match was questionable, according to Mantell, who pointed to the fact that she has only worked short matches prior:
"That's very very long for somebody like Nia Jax. She's never had a 30-minute match in her life. Even though the last six or seven minutes, she was not involved [in the match]. But still that's 30 minutes. It's a long time for Nia Jax, and she's never done that before. And that was a bad place to showcase it, on a PLE and it backfired on them," Dutch Mantell said. [From 48:50 to 49:20]
Check out Dutch Mantell's critique in the podcast below:
Nia Jax may have had a bad night, but the Women's Champion still has a major storyline on SmackDown that WWE can proceed with. It is her "friendship" with Tiffany Stratton, who could cash in her Money in the Bank contract on Jax at any time.
If you use any of these quotes, please credit the original source and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.