It is time once again to share the professional wrestling matches that we need to see in 2021. As we gear up for a new year, let’s look at the women’s division in pro wrestling.
In WWE, Sasha Banks and Bayley ran a program that landed Sasha the #1 spot in Sports Illustrated’s Wrestlers of 2020. NXT caught fire with Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair fighting over the NXT’s Women’s title at Wrestlemania, and the spark continued when Ember Moon made her return to NXT. AEW showed promise in their Women’s division, but a lack of time given to the division–as well as a poor character build–resulted in a disappointing year for AEW. Let’s dive into the women’s matches we need in 2021.
AEW: Britt Baker vs Shida (AEW Women’s Championship)
AEW’s lack of creativity in the women’s division is a fairly simple fix… BUILD BRITT BAKER!! Britt Baker is a star waiting for her moment in AEW. Baker is easily the best on the mic in the women’s division, and her in-ring talent needs a little fine-tuning. I suggest pairing Baker with Shida. Shida is a young talent who has fire in her veins; I think Shida is the best in-ring performer in the AEW women’s division. Shida vs Baker is a match that is fit enough to headline an AEW PPV, and it needs to happen!
RAW: Alexa Bliss vs Nikki Cross
Alexa Bliss had a very interesting 2020. 2020 began with Bliss and Cross joining forces as best friends, with Bliss as the perky blonde and Nikki as the awkward but lovable muscle (kind of like Penny and Amy from The Big Bang Theory). Enter The Fiend, Bray Wyatt, and his alter ego brainwashed Alexa Bliss and turned her into his pawn. As Wyatt and Bliss grew closer together, Cross began distancing herself from Bliss. Cross has always shown love for Bliss, and when you love someone, sometimes you need to knock some sense into them (or power slam them until they feel normal again). I believe pitting Cross in a story where she is trying to save her best friend would help finally get Cross “over” with the die-hard fans. I would book Bliss to host her own “Fireflies Fun Match” in which she goes into a story-driven match with Cross. Bliss vs Cross could be the perfect complement to the story the WWE has built with The Fiend.
NXT: Toni Storm vs Io Shirai
NXT Women’s Champ Io Shirai is unstoppable. I hate the “brand wars,” but NXT dominates AEW in building great women superstars. Toni Storm is extremely versatile in both NXT and NXT UK, but if she were to stick around the U.S. for a while, I think a program with Io Shirai would be perfect. Shirai is extremely over, but before she makes her inevitable promotion to the main roster, she needs to work on promos. Toni Storm has a move set that will provide 5-star matches, and her mic work is the best of NXT UK. I think pairing Storm vs Shirai is the best of both worlds. Storm is going to be a mainstay in NXT for the foreseeable future, and the more screen time she gets, the better.
Smackdown: Sasha Banks vs Bayley (Wrestlemania)
Sasha and Bayley had a phenomenal 2020 with their feud. From friends to bitter enemies, these two clashed in ways we have always dreamed (Hell in a Cell was a perfect match). The history between Banks and Bayley goes back to Takeover Brooklyn when the duo made a mark that helped to spark the Women’s Revolution, and we all remember when Bayley debuted at Battleground as Sasha’s surprise partner. It is time to give these two a match at the showcase of the immortals. Bayley needs to win the Royal Rumble and go on to challenge Banks at Wrestlemania.
BONUS: Sasha Banks vs Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch vs Bayley (Summer Slam)
I had an idea for a match that I just couldn’t ignore. The 4 Horsewomen of NXT were important pieces in WWE’s Women’s Revolution. Wrestlemania 32 featured a triple threat of Banks vs Lynch vs Flair that ignited the spark, giving women superstars equal opportunities within WWE. WWE needs to win points with fans, and die-hard WWE fans have asked that these four finally meet in a match. I think a Fatal Four Way would be perfect to headline SummerSlam, and because you can’t end SummerSlam without a big surprise, I think you could use this as a chance to bring back Ronda Rousey. Rousey and her 4 Horsewomen of MMA could interfere in the match and set up for the eight of them to collide at Survivor Series. Raw needs viewers, and if the USA network puts enough pressure on Vince, he will have to pay to bring Rousey back to the WWE. Book the 4 Horsewomen of NXT vs the 4 Horsewomen of MMA at Survivor Series.
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