SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Rising Star of the Week: Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley is a star.
Many wrestlers have great ring work, the ability to tell a good story in the ring, magnetic charisma, or a unique signature look. Very successful wrestlers possess two or even three of these traits, but only a precious few have it all. Steve Austin, CM Punk, and Becky Lynch come to mind.
Ripley has it all, and at age 28 to boot.
She’s overcome poor booking and multiple losses in her WrestleMania build and matchup. Her match against Raquel Rodriguez, despite having an obvious finish, stole the show at Night of Champions. Ripley maintains a strong relationship with her rabid fanbase. She’s the first woman to vie for the top star in the promotion since Becky Lynch’s peak around WrestleMania 35.
This week, WWE Women’s World Champion Iyo Sky was given the opportunity to choose her own challenger for Evolution. Sky wanted to wrestle the best, and (given Bianca Belair’s injured status) her choice was clear.
Sky is a phenomenal in-ring talent who made a surprisingly powerful new connection with fans following her upset win over Ripley to capture the championship in March. This connection may be the reason she retained her championship at WrestleMania. Since then, her reign has sputtered. Sky’s limited English and inadequate promos have led to her popularity and relevance waning.
The build to their match in Evolution has seemingly come from nowhere. Ripley winning the title by beating another popular face champion in Sky is far from ideal, but Sky’s title reign is past its due date.
WWE needs to be in the Rhea Ripley business, and it’s time a new Women’s Champion is crowned.
Runner-up: Solo Sikoa
In his two-and-a-half years on the main roster, Sikoa’s WWE career has seen ups and downs.
He debuted in the enviable position of silent enforcer for the Bloodline. Sikoa rarely spoke, and when he did, his words carried significant weight. His status in such an influential group kept Sikoa highly visible and demanded relatively little in terms of mic work. He was protected by booking for some time while Jimmy and Jey took losses for the group. The apex of his run during the Bloodline era was a singles victory over John Cena at Crown Jewel in 2023.
Following Roman Reigns’s title loss to Cody at last year’s WrestleMania, the vacuum created by the Tribal Chief disappearance created a brand-new opportunity for Sikoa. As the usurper of a transformed Bloodline featuring Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and ultimately Jacob Fatu, Sikoa struggled to find his footing.
His portrayal as the new Tribal Chief paled greatly in comparison to that of his predecessor. Tasked with carrying important talking segments, Sikoa failed to display a fraction of Reigns’ charisma or presence. When Reigns returned and challenged Sikoa for the Ula Fala at Raw’s Netflix debut, few questioned who would emerge victorious.
After his high-profile loss to Reigns, Sikoa had no claim to the status of tribal chief. He continued to lead his faction regardless. The New Bloodline floundered, lacking purpose or gravitas.
The overnight success of Fatu eclipsed Sikoa, and seemed destined to push him further down the card. Sikoa’s role shifted to a leader jealous of the charge who surpassed him, and something clicked.
A poor portrayal of a powerful mastermind was replaced by a compelling portrayal of a resentful cousin. Sikoa appeared far more comfortable speaking and a new side of his personality emerged. The result has been unexpectedly entertaining.
Sikoa pleaded with Fatu, saying he always loved and respected him, so earnestly that it almost seemed like he believed it. Against all available evidence, fans couldn’t help but half believe as well.
In spite of these performances, many fans assumed their Night of Champions match for the United States Title would be won handily by Fatu. It was not to be. The return of Tonga Loa and debut of Hikuleo were enough to grant Sikoa victory and earn him his first main roster title.
Now, with fresh momentum, an updated roster, and a brand-new championship reign, the New Bloodline has re-emerged as a faction to watch. Sikoa has earned a rare do-over, a chance to make good on his previous failure. With greater confidence, renewed energy, and a fresh handle on his character, Sikoa seems poised to succeed.
Second Runner-Up: Raquel Rodriguez
A featured a headliner in NXT, but most of Rodruguez’s three years on the main roster has seen her in a background role. Paired with Liv Morgan in the Judgment Day starting in October, she shifted to an enforcer role, a sort of Diesel to Morgan’s Shawn Michaels.
In practice, Rodriguez was more often than the fall guy, taking beatings and losses intended for Morgan. Any Babyface feuding with Morgan, needed to defeat Rodriguez first. Rodriguez, a natural powerhouse, was rarely featured as the monster heel that her size might suggest.
Rodriguez’s acting in Judgment Day segments was the weakest of the group. In contrast to Morgan’s ostentatious swagger, Rodriguez came off as bland and uninteresting.
However, in capturing the tag team titles with Morgan a remarkable four times, Rodriguez was able to remain in the upper mid card at the women’s division, featured in TV matches regularly. The team wrestled for the titles at WrestleMania and seemed bound to face Nikki Bella and Iyo Sky at Evolution.
Morgan’s injury two weeks ago on Raw cast doubt on Rodriguez’s status. Would she be shuffled down the card or take a more prominent role?
The latter, if Rodriguez’s match against Ripley at Night of Champions was any indication.
We are used to seeing Ripley taking on the part of powerhouse, but not so against Rodriguez. Rodriguez’s offense looked devastating. Ripley emphatically sold and appearing unusually vulnerable. Even in loss, Rodriguez looked more dominant than we’ve seen her in years.
Wade Barrett was quick to take notice. He addressed Rodriguez with an old nickname. We haven’t heard much lately, “Big Mami Cool“ and called the match “a coming out party for Rodriguez.” So it was.
Interference by Roxanne Perez, as ineffective as it was, signaled an ongoing partnership between the two. This was confirmed when Rodgriguez agreed to name Perez her partner and co-champion on Raw.
Perez is not yet a star like Morgan, so it seems Rodriguez will take on a dominant role in their relationship. Their contrasting styles: Rodriguez as a commanding powerhouse and Perez as a cunning trickster and bump-taker, will add an interesting element to their matches. Given Rodriguez is limited mic skills, she should leave most of the talking to Perez.
When Liv ultimately returns, she may feel betrayed by Rodriguez’s partnership with Perez. This could set up a natural feud that has the potential to be high-profile.
Without Morgan to lean on, will she shine or wilt?. Rodriguez’s true judgment day is fast approaching.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Raw: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
Fading Star of the Week: The New Day
Just a few weeks ago, the New Day appeared to be on the verge of a career resurgence. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods had a fresh, updated ring gear and entrance music. At WrestleMania they recaptured the World Tag Team Titles for the first time in years. This was followed by fun promos during which the champions argued against having to defend their belts.
The New Day seemed ready to take on a more prominent role on Raw and were recognized as rising stars in this very column. All they needed was a compelling storyline to get started.
Inexplicably, that never happened.
New Day defended their titles only rarely, and no fresh babyface tag team rose up to challenge them. Their championship match with the Judgment Day on Raw was their first in several weeks. Lacking promotion or a storyline hook, the battle of the Days seemed to be an inconsequential time-filler bound for an unsatisfying finish. The crowd seemed uncertain which heel team to root for, and their response was muted despite some excellent action.
A win by the Judgment Day was therefore a surprise. The New Days tenth tag team title reign ended before it was given much of a chance. This leaves Kingston and Wood without any momentum or direction going forward.
Regaining the championship anytime soon seems unlikely, as does involvement in a high-profile feud. At this point, it seems only the return of Big E could herald a return to relevance for one of the WWE’s all-time greatest teams.
The future of the New Day has never looked so dark.
1st and 2nd Runners-up: Bayley and Lyra Valkyria (tie)
It seems WWE failed to learn a lesson from Ripley and Belair’s disastrous booking leading up to WrestleMania. Having two faces bicker like children is neither admirable nor becoming.
In trying to generate a legitimate conflict between the two, WWE has undermined them both. Ripley rebounded from this kind of treatment, but neither Bayley nor Lyra enjoys such popularity to fall back on.
The only silver lining on this dark cloud is the promise of a well-wrestled triple threat match at Evolution. Let’s hope the fans aren’t chanting for Lynch.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.