Who Should Be the Next Women's World Champion?
On the August 18th episode of Raw, Naomi addressed her future as the Women’s World Champion. She announced that she was pregnant and would be relinquishing the championship. Now, the Raw Women’s Division is left without its top champion, and a new champion will have to be crowned. So, the big question now is who should be the next Women’s World Champion? There are a bevy of top stars, such as Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky, who have held the top prize before and could add another reign as champion to their already impressive resume. There are also newcomers to the division, such as Stephanie Vaquer, who won the Evolution Battle Royale to earn a shot at the Women’s World Championship at Clash in Paris; however, with Naomi's pregnancy, that match is now off, and there has been no indication of when La Primera will get her title match. The division is loaded, and the WWE has several options at its disposal to crown a new world champion; however, I believe that there are two clear frontrunners for the title. So, let’s break it down!
Rhea Ripley
The Eradicator has been the top star in the division and one of the company’s top stars for the past two years. Ripley continues to be one of the WWE’s top merchandise sellers and gets some of the loudest crowd ovations. She is already over with the fans and holds the longest reign as Women’s World Champion by holding the title for 380 days. Mami seems to be the safe bet to become the new champion. A rumor is going around social media that the WWE might crown Ripley in her home country of Australia at Crown Jewel. However, that Premium Live Event is not til October, so it would be too long to wait to crown a new champion. Yet, if the WWE was going to go for a tournament route, then a potential finals with Ripley in it would make the most sense, but crowning her at Crown Jewel does not make sense. They should do it at the upcoming WrestlePalooza PLE, which is rumored to be coming in September.
Stephanie Vaquer
La Primera has been one of the most exciting superstars to watch ever since she showed up on NXT last October. She quickly became a fan favorite, and that momentum has carried over with her when she joined the main roster. It is clear that the WWE sees her as a future leader of the women’s division, and she was set to get her first shot at main roster gold at Clash in Paris. Now, Vaquer’s status as number one contender is in limbo because the WWE Universe does not know what direction the WWE will go next. If they decide to do a tournament, would Vaquer be in it, or should she face the winner of the tournament at WrestlePalooza or on an episode of Raw? Whatever the case may be, Vaquer does deserve to be in the mix to decide the new champion. If she were to win the championship, the WWE may be on the verge of putting a rocket on her and elevating her to the top of the Sports Entertainment mountain. If booked properly, La Primera could have a strong reign as champions with potential matches against the likes of Ripley, Sky, Becky Lynch, and others. Stephanie Vaquer’s time could be now, and it is time for the WWE to capitalize on it.
Having to pivot is nothing new to the WWE. Injuries and unexpected things happen all the time in professional wrestling. Yet, with the Raw Women’s Division losing its top champion, the WWE must be smart about how it determines the next champion and who it should be. Do they go with the safe bet and one of the most "over" superstars in the company in Ripley, or do they go with the woman who earned the right to challenge for the championship and has the momentum and fanfare behind her in Vaquer? They could entirely put the title on someone else, but I think that is highly unlikely with the Eradicator and La Primera being the two most likely options. This is going to be an interesting decision that the WWE is going to have to make, but it will certainly be one that fans will be watching.
