Returning stars manipulating a rivalry, surprising partnership - 4 possible reasons why Nikki Cross has been stalking Candice LeRae on WWE RAW
The unpredictable Nikki Cross is seemingly terrorizing one of WWE RAW's newest stars. For weeks, The Twisted Sister could be seen in the background of Candice LeRae's matches and interviews, lurking for reasons not yet known.
Cross spent over a year competing as Nikki A.S.H., a superhero gimmick that led her to the RAW Women's Championship. The gimmick began to lose direction, however, and after weeks of teasing, Nikki's character took a dramatic shift.
The Twisted Sister persona returned on the October 24th, 2022 edition of RAW. Since then, Nikki has retaken the persona of a chaotic and unpredictable little psychopath. Some fans fear her, some love her, and some despise her, but nobody can predict what Cross will do.
There isn't yet a clear indication as to why Nikki is lurking whenever LeRae is around. Does she have a vendetta against The Poison Pixie? Could somebody be directing The Twisted Sister into doing their bidding? What is Cross up to?
Below are four possible reasons why Nikki Cross has been stalking Candice LeRae on WWE RAW.
#4. Nikki may be bitter over her loss in Canice LeRae's debut match on WWE RAW
Candice LeRae was one of the top female stars in NXT for quite some time. The Poison Pixie later became pregnant and then left the company, possibly due in part to the shakeup NXT experienced at the time.
LeRae returned to WWE on September 26th, 2022 in a surprise appearance that excited fans all over the world. The former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion battled and promptly defeated Nikki A.S.H. in her debut. Nikki was seen taking her mask off and in tears post-defeat.
While the moment led to the return of the Cross persona, Nikki may be seeking revenge on LeRae. While it would be impossible to understand what goes through Cross' mind, she may see Candice as the enemy for triggering such an emotional breakdown.
#3. They may have unresolved issues from NXT
We see you @WWENikkiCross 👀
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While it isn't possible to fully predict or understand Nikki Cross' actions, there may be a deeper link to her perceived animosity towards Candice LeRae than what's on the surface. Their issues could go back further than LeRae's debut on WWE RAW.
The Twisted Sister and The Poison Pixie battled a handful of times back when they were on the NXT brand together. Some bouts were in multi-woman matches while others were straight up one-on-one. Many happened at live events, but some happened on television.
The two may have issues dating back to NXT, possibly due to something that happened off-screen. Perhaps Nikki felt intense jealousy towards Candice. They could have had an altercation of some kind. Whatever the case, an interesting story could tie them back to their roots in the company.
#2. Nikki may actually want to befriend or team up with Candice
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The most obvious direction for Nikki Cross and Candice LeRae is for the two to feud. The groundwork is seemingly set and the aforementioned entries on this list show exactly why it could happen. Still, there's always a chance that WWE will swerve the fans and tell a different story.
Nikki may be stalking Candice each week on WWE RAW out of interest and not hatred. There's a chance that The Twisted Sister wants to befriend or even form a tag team with The Poison Pixie, but lacks the social awareness to address the situation properly.
Cross may eventually come out and reveal that she doesn't want to hurt LeRae, but instead be her friend. If this happens, the two could potentially become a tag team and even challenge for the WWE Women's Tag Team titles. Both are former tag team champions, so they may end up having more chemistry than most fans would expect.
#1. SAnitY may be behind Nikki's actions
Before Nikki Cross joined the main roster and found success uniting with the likes of Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss, and Doudrop, she was a member of the NXT roster. Upon joining the black & gold brand, Nikki was aligned with three other stars.
Collectively known as SAnitY, the foursome consisted of Nikki, Alexander Wolfe, Eric Young, and Killian Dain. They terrorized the developmental brand at first but grew to become fan favorites. They split off upon joining the main roster, with their momentum never being realized on RAW & SmackDown.
Lately, however, there have been rumors that WWE is bringing back Eric Young and potentially even both Alexander Wolfe & Killian Dain. If the trio are returning, SAnitY is likely to be reformed. If that's the case, it would make sense for The Twisted Sister to reunite with her former stablemates.
If SAnitY is returning to WWE, they may be responsible for whatever Nikki is up to in regards to Candice LeRae. Eric Young could be a sinister leader, and him having Cross scout both LeRae and Johnny Gargano could be related to a devious plot of some kind.