Budding rivals; Former title challengers - Predicting the competitors in the Women's Iron Survivor Match at NXT Deadline
NXT Deadline on December 10 will feature two Iron Survivor matches, one for the men and one for the women. Shawn Michaels will reveal the five women in the match on this week's episode of NXT.
Mandy Rose has been NXT Women's Champion for over a year, so like the men's clash, the women's match may feature a few stars Rose has already defeated.
A main roster wrestler like Natalya or a returning star like Chelsea Green could also be a surprise in the match. NXT Deadline could also see the return of Tiffany Stratton if she's medically cleared.
Regardless of who is in the match, one thing is for sure, Rose's next challenger will emerge at NXT Deadline.
Here are predictions for the five performers in the Women's Iron Survivor match.
#5. Indi Hartwell could join the main roster in early 2023
NEXT TUESDAY on #WWENXT
@roxanne_wwe goes one-on-one with @indi_hartwell! https://t.co/vLvU4bLfBv
Hartwell has been in NXT longer than most women on the roster. It seems like she's been wandering aimlessly since The Way disbanded. Even when she's tried to branch out on her own, it hasn't been with much success.
She's recently started a heel turn, chastising Roxanne Perez for being nice to others. Maybe it's jealousy or frustration. The two women will face off on Tuesday and will likely carry that rivalry into the Iron Survivor match at NXT Deadline.
Hartwell's participation makes sense due to being one of the more experienced stars in NXT. Her chances of winning, however, could be low.
#4. Roxanne Perez is a future champion
As mentioned earlier, Perez and Hartwell have been having a passive feud. The youngster probably doesn't harbor any ill will, but Hartwell is unhappy with Roxanne's naivety. Regardless of who is victorious on Tuesday, expect both women to be in the Iron Survivor match at NXT Deadline.
Despite already losing to Rose, Perez is a future NXT Women's Champion. She's too good not to be. In her first attempt to win the title, Cora Jade interfered to cost her the match. That means Perez should get another shot in the future.
Someone will have to eventually dethrone Rose soon because there aren't many challengers remaining. Perez is also one of the top faces on the brand and would make sense as the winner of the match.
#3 Cora Jade has been featured heavily in NXT
Jade has been hovering on the periphery of the NXT Women's Title picture for most of 2022. She turned on Perez and has been tormenting other faces ever since her heel turn. Jade has also been involved in big moments, like last year's WarGames match.
Winning the contest would be a strange dynamic as both Rose and Jade are currently heels. Unless Toxic Attraction implodes, it will likely be a top face who will have the honor of beating Rose.
Since she's been a constant on programming since last year, expect Cora Jade to be chosen for the Iron Survivor match at NXT Deadline.
#2. Zoey Stark could earn another title shot at NXT Deadline
Watch out, @ZoeyStarkWWE! @nikkita_wwe is out for payback.
#WWENXT https://t.co/EPx9gMBuex
Stark returned a few months ago to win a shot at Rose. Despite being one of the favorites to finally beat The Toxic Attraction leader, Stark lost.
After the loss, she pivoted to challenging for the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles. Following another unsuccessful attempt, she turned heel on her partner Nikkita Lyons.
Stark is one of the best wrestlers currently in NXT, so much so that she's helped train other prospects. She mentioned that fact during her explanation for turning on Lyons. It would be a shock if she wasn't included at NXT Deadline.
#1. Nikkita Lyons needs to build some momentum
Lyons was already headed for a match with Rose but had to bow out of the Breakout Tournament due to injury. She currently has an ongoing feud with Zoey Stark on her calendar. The feud could continue if both women have spots in the Iron Survivor match at NXT Deadline.
The former tag team partners are two of the top women in NXT. After Stark's heel turn, they'll probably feud for the foreseeable future. Due to turning heel, it seems like Stark may not be the top choice to win the Iron Survivor match.
At some point in the next few months, Lyons seems likely to challenge for the title. Her first feud will obviously be with Stark, so both women could be in the match to prevent the other from winning. Multi-person matches are a good way to fold ongoing feuds into one contest.
Who do you think will win the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline? Let us know in the comments section below.