Right now, Ronda Rousey is WWE‘s most precious commodity. To make sure things stay on track, she’ll need thoughtful booking behind her—and that may start with Nia Jax turning heel.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE may turn Nia Jax heel by aligning her with Stephanie McMahon. The history between McMahon and Rousey is well established and by acquiring the nefarious services of Jax their saga can continue.
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For Jax, this would be a Big Show-esque turn as she just began a convincing run as a babyface. Her anti-bullying story with Alexa Bliss was one of the more developed WrestleMania storylines and boosted the goodwill behind her Superdome victory. However, it looks like those vibes are officially in jeopardy.
Jax playing villain is a pretty smart option for WWE. Since Rousey is just beginning—and will likely be protected on the microphone—WWE need to create easily identifiable opposition. This is a simple concept but one that has been neglected in the booking of Roman Reigns. While Reigns has always received a grey reaction, his popularity has been damaged by having to share the ring with favorites like AJ Styles, John Cena, and the Undertaker. By regularly splitting the audience, it’s become all too easy for fans to align against The Big Dog. WWE looks to avoid a similar situation with Rousey.
Jax officially extended the Money in the Bank invitation on the red carpet of an NBC Universal Upfront presentation. Considering not too many WWE Championship matches are made outside of the ring, the challenge and Rousey’s subsequent acceptance had the WWE Universe asking if it was real or not.
Ronda Rousey to challenge Nia Jax for the Raw Women’s Championship at WWE Money in the Bank
NEW YORK CITY — Nia Jax shockingly named Ronda Rousey as her next challenger for the Raw Women’s Championship this morning at the NBCUniversal Upfront in New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.
The Irresistible Force revealed she wants to put her title on the line against Rousey at WWE Money in the Bank, much to the surprise of The Baddest Woman on the Planet. Never one to back down from either a challenge or an opportunity, a bewildered Rousey agreed to the match.
This will be Rousey’s first title opportunity since joining WWE earlier this year. When we last saw her compete on WWE TV, she teamed with Raw General Manager Kurt Angle to defeat Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania.
Can Rousey unseat the imposing Jax and win her first title in WWE? Tune in to WWE Money in the Bank on Sunday, June 17, streaming live on WWE Network.
Jax also expanding on the match as she explained her rationale for picking Rousey as her next opponent.
“If I’m going to be the best #Raw Women’s Champion, I want to square off against the best. Let’s see how Rowdy @RondaRousey can get,” she wrote.
WWE looks to be proactively deflecting anyone who says Rousey is being pushed too quickly into tile opportunities as it was Jax who handpicked the former UFC Champion. It should be an interesting ride to Money in the Bank but we may be a month away from Ronda Rousey being the new queen of WWE.
