WWE to keep title on current champion for a long time? - 4 reasons why Raquel Rodriguez should not be the one to dethrone Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley has been on top of WWE for months now. Her reign of terror began in January when the talented star won the Women's Royal Rumble Match from the number one position.
She has since captured the Women's World Championship. Ripley defeated Charlotte Flair for the gold at WrestleMania and has defeated many talented foes in title and non-title matches in the months since.
However, the Eradicator of The Judgment Day has her biggest challenge coming up. She will go one-on-one with the incredibly talented and imposing Raquel Rodriguez. The two will clash at the Payback Premium Live Event.
While some fans expect Raquel to show her dominance at the big show, Rhea Ripley should walk away from Payback as the champion. This article will examine several reasons why Big Mami Cool should not dethrone The Ripper.
#4. Rhea Ripley is too over to lose the title now
The Judgment Day is a dominant force on WWE RAW. The group comprises Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, Finn Balor, and Dominik Mysterio. The reactions that the faction receives from the audience are worth the price of admission alone, as it can be pretty entertaining to witness.
Balor and Priest get a mix of boos and cheers, typically more boos, but there's an obvious level of respect for both men. Meanwhile, Dirty Dom receives more heat from the WWE Universe than anybody, which makes for a hilarious time. On the other hand, Ripley gets a complete opposite reaction from the audience.
When Rhea is alone without Dom around, the fans erupt for her. They cheer on the talented champion, and "Mami" chants can be heard echoing throughout the arena. She has a lot of momentum behind her, and the company shouldn't risk damaging her current popularity by having her drop the belt.
#3. Their feud needs to be fleshed out far more by WWE before a title change would make sense
Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez have only been feuding on WWE's main roster for a brief time. It started with teases backstage and in the aisle, but things eventually turned physical. Since then, the storyline has been quite entertaining.
Still, they've only interacted a handful of times on WWE television. While Big Mami Cool may one day be ready to take the coveted Women's World Championship from Rhea, the feud is nowhere near that point yet. This is especially true for the Payback event.
Besides, the company has more stories to tell if it chooses. Rhea and Raquel have a long history together before their main roster run, including a feud in NXT. Focusing more on their past and building more in the present could make a future title change more palatable, but it isn't a good move for now.
#2. Mami is probably going to have a long reign as champion
As noted, Rhea Ripley has been the WWE Women's World Champion ever since WrestleMania. At The Showcase of the Immortals, the powerful Australian defeated Charlotte Flair in a match of the year candidate.
Since then, Rhea has defeated Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell, Dana Brooke, Lyra Valkyria, Zelina Vega, and Natalya. Some bouts had the belt on the line, but most were non-title affairs.
Given that she could still run it back with half of those names, and there's a wealth of talented stars left for her to feud with, WWE would be wise to keep the title on her for a long time. Thankfully, that appears to be what will happen.
Given how they're slowly morphing her into more and more stories, it appears the plan is for her to remain the titleholder for an extended period. They have teased future big-time bouts with Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch. Plus, fans want to see Rhea clash with Bianca Belair eventually.
#1. Raquel Rodriguez works better as a heel champion
Beyond WWE clearly setting up Rhea for a long title reign, their ongoing feud needing more time to develop, and how popular Ripley is, there's another key reason why Raquel shouldn't be the person to dethrone Ripley. Raquel Rodriguez is far better as a heel than she is as a babyface.
Of course, Big Mami Cool isn't a bad babyface. She has a likable personality and an infectious smile. Her size, however, is an inherent strike against her. It is difficult for Raquel to get babyface sympathy because she is much bigger than most opponents.
Her incredible strength and impressive size lend itself to being a heel. As a result, WWE shouldn't put the title on her until she has a proper heel run in the company. In many ways, a villainous Raquel could be booked similarly to how Rhea Ripley is currently being used.