WWE SmackDown Needs a Women’s Division Revamp (Here’s Why)

Tiffany Stratton Losing challengers for the WWE Women’s Championship

Tiffany Stratton has been WWE Women’s Champion for seven months now. Throughout her reign, she has overcome talent such as Bayley, Nia Jax, and Charlotte Flair. Stratton has even defeated a WWE Legend, Trish Stratus. With credible challengers coming in and out, there is only so much WWE can do with Stratton’s direction.

Part of the situation is out of Stratton’s control since there are wrestlers such as Bianca Belair on the injured reserve list. There was Naomi as well, but she joined the RAW brand by cashing in her Money in the Bank, winning the Women’s World Championship. The longer WWE wants to keep Stratton as champion, they need to consider throwing out more challengers for her.

There are plenty of women on SmackDown, but there is a small list of believable contenders who are suitable to be in the Women’s Title picture. Here are some potential names that can feud with Tiffany Stratton.

Jade Cargill

At SummerSlam, Jade Cargill was Tifanny Stratton’s opponent for the WWE Women’s Championship. Stratton retaining against Cargill has led to a possible rematch in the future. Cargill came extremely close to winning the title, but Stratton capitalized miraculously.

If a rematch does happen sometime soon, then there needs to be some type of spark in the rivalry. One idea comes to mind is the possibility of turning Stratton back into a heel. When Stratton was a heel, she got under any babyface’s skin. She was also able to draw heel heat from the fans. Tiffany can cement her possible heel turn by cheating to defeat Cargill in said potential rematch.

Cheating to retain will indicate that Cargill is a threat to Stratton’s championship, which turns out to be the only thing Stratton cared about all along. A heel turn by Stratton would be a great way to shift the women’s division on SmackDown because WWE will also have the opportunity to present Cargill as the top women’s bayface of the blue brand.

Candice LeRae

Candice LeRae would be a unique opponent for Tiffany Stratton. Since LeRae has been in the main roster, she has been built as either a tag team partner or a lackey. For once, let’s see what LeRae can do as a singles competitor. Her possible singles run can lead to a storyline on her own, as it can grab the attention of her husband and tag team specialist, Johnny Gargano.

Both Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa of #DIY are also looking to win gold of their own. It can bring the notion to #DIY for all three wrestlers to hold championships together.

LeRae already had a history with Stratton when Nia Jax, with whom both had a friendship, was the champion. LeRae and Stratton can relive that history in this proposed storyline. It’s also somewhat fresh as these two had only one match against each other.

Ivy Nile

Ivy Nile would be a great wildcard, even though she is on RAW. With this asset, moving her to SmackDown is another strategic method in revamping Friday nights. SmackDown will benefit from this, as not only is the show lacking challengers, but also heels. Nile can join SmackDown as a dominant female, targeting Stratton.

Nile doesn’t have to join the blue show alone. Her fellow American Made members, The Creed Brothers, can accompany her while shaking up the tag team division themselves.

Starting in NXT 2.0, it will be intriguing to see how much Stratton and Nile have grown as they compete for the coveted Women’s Championship.

Chelsea Green

If there is someone who has been a workhorse in the women’s division, it’s Chelsea Green. Ever since Green returned to WWE in 2023, she has proven how much she belongs in the top wrestling promotion. In the past two years, she has won the Women’s Tag Team Championship and became the first Women’s United States Champion.

Currently, she’s in a program with current tag team champions Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair. Maybe after this feud, she can move up to the upper card by aiming for the top title in the women’s division. Seen as an underdog, “Karen”, WWE has the chance to deliver shock value by having Green defeat Stratton for the Women’s title.

Who Should be # 1 Contender?

Out of all those listed options, Jade Cargill seems to be the best fit as she is already an established top female wrestler. Cargill is also someone who is being built by WWE as a top star. The chance of a potential Tiffany heel turn on Jade can reshape the direction SmackDown is going with its women’s roster.

With SmackDown needing to revamp its women’s division, how would you do it? Leave your comments below.