Opinion: WWE made the right call moving Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross to Friday night SmackDown
On Tuesday's episode of WWE Backstage, WWE COO Paul 'Triple H' Levesque announced that Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross had been traded to Friday Night SmackDown.
Triple H even went as far as to give new Executive Director Bruce Prichard credit for striking the deal.
In return, RAW received future Draft pick considerations.
Now, this isn't exactly the blockbuster deal that was teased, but it's a move that needed to be made. Once the dust settled from the Draft, WWE saw the same thing that the WWE Universe saw. The SmackDown Women's division was missing something.
Fox already had two bona fide stars in Sasha Banks and Bayley. However, Bayley's heel turn this past Friday left a void that needed to be filled. The division was lacking a true babyface to battle the Boss and new emo Bayley.
This is part of a bigger issue across the Women's division right now. Outside of Becky Lynch, who are the top fan favorites?
The Kabuki Warriors recently turned heel when they won the Tag Team titles. Ember Moon is injured. Naomi is M.I.A. and Natalya just doesn't quite get the fan appreciation that she deserves.
That left Carmella. The Princess of Staten Island is the biggest loser in the Bliss-Cross deal.
Following her split from R-Truth, Carmella seemed poised to get back in the title picture after spending the past few months in the 24/7 title chase. Literally. Carmella has done nothing but chase and be chased since Truth first won that title.
With her former partner in crime on RAW, Carmella was the logical choice to challenge her friend and now bad girl Bayley on SmackDown. Don't get me wrong. She very well may still be, but it's not a slam dunk anymore.
In this trade, Fox is getting a multi-time Women's Champ in Bliss who can easily step into any main event story. Nikki Cross meanwhile is an extremely likable and equally talented main roster up and comer. While I had my doubts about her pairing with Bliss initially, it's done wonders for her career. She went from sitting in the back to winning her first main roster championship.
The pair hasn't fully turned face yet, but they've been getting positive reactions for a while now.
Much like Bayley, who waited weeks before murdering her inflatable buddies and subsequently making kids cry, it's time for Bliss and Cross to make the full transition.
SmackDown now feels more balanced. Bliss, Cross, and Carmella on one side, with Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Lacey Evans on the other. Someone that could upset the apple cart is Sonya Deville.
Wednesday morning it was announced on "The Bump" that Deville signed with SmackDown as an undrafted free agent. She is someone who is long overdue for a singles push in my opinion.
Becky Lynch even put Sonya over during her appearance on "The Bump" Wednesday. Saying she's someone who can connect with the audience.
Sonya has the talent to really break out if given the chance. She may not get that opportunity right away. Her partner Mandy Rose also signed with the blue brand, so it seems Fire and Desire will be sticking together for the time being.
In the meantime, RAW is taking a hit with Tuesday's trade. Especially considering they didn't get anything in return right away. The Man still has plenty of new challenges for her RAW Women's Championship ahead. Personally, I hope Asuka or Kairi Sane gets the first shot. Or even Liv Morgan once she debuts her new character.
Another name to keep an eye on is Sarah Logan. She seems like a natural pairing with the RAW Tag Team Champions; turning the Viking Raiders into a trio. For whatever reason though, the company has been hesitant to pull the trigger on that.
Logan signed as a free agent to remain on Monday nights. Hopefully, with the Wildcard Rule dead, she'll get a chance to wrestle on more than just the Main Event tapings.
Also, the returns of Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey are still on the horizon. Who knows which brands they will end up on, but RAW seems like a good bet for either one. As long as Becky Lynch is the Champ, you can bet those two would like to get back in the ring with her.
At the moment, there is a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks as WWE heads toward Survivor Series.
Note: This post has been updated to reflect changes in the Draft that occured after this article was originally published.
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