It’s been two years since Jade Cargill made the exodus from the AEW to the WWE. In that time, she’s had the opportunity to work with the best in the business. She has two marquee Wrestlemania events to her name, as well as a long-term story in her saga with the “Big 3.” She’s now the WWE Women’s Champion after defeating Tiffany Stratton after a long reign.
With all that she’s done in the WWE until this point, Cargill’s biggest asset has been her zeal. Throughout her tenure in WWE, her in-ring work has improved, and her character is continuing to be developed. But what would make her first singles title reign one to remember?
What we need to see from Jade Cargill
Off rip, if we’re able to get a lengthy reign filled with the intentional twists that the Big 3 story had, that would be a start. But it’s important that Cargill is established in the early months as a dominant champion. The two years of scratching and clawing up until this point have to bear fruit beyond simply winning the big one; she has to dominate.
Over time, it’ll be helpful that the ladies she shares the ring with also begin having star-making matches with her to help cement themselves as forces in the division as well. But within this framework, we have to have some story involved that continues to give the women’s champion depth. We need to be interested in these matches beyond the holds. We need more palpable reasoning to want to crave whichever outcome of the match will be.
Somewhere along during this reign, we’re bound to see a returning Bianca Belair. She is one of the most established women on the roster, and really has been a big sister to Cargill onscreen since the beginning of her tenure on the main roster in WWE. They haven’t totally hashed out what went on between them in the Big 3 breakup. We still don’t know whether or not Belair had anything to do with the sneak attack that Naomi carried out on Cargill. There has been an allusion to the fact that they’re cool, but I’m not sold on it.
The road to Wrestlemania begins now for Jade Cargill
Further cementing herself as the antagonist that she is, Cargill is eventually going to have to take the stance of saying that Belair was holding her back the whole time. She may even say that she was jealous of her. If we’re really lucky, she’ll spin Belair’s catchphrases back on her. The champ can easily say that Belair was intimidated by a faster, stronger and bigger competitor. I think the story writes itself. All the while, as long as Cargill continues to kill on the mic, she’ll become a bigger star than she already is.
In my opinion, a one-on-one feud with Belair will cement this reign. If it were to culminate at Wrestlemania in Vegas next year, even better! But this reign has the potential for the spotlight of the women’s division to be centered right on the blue brand of SmackDown for the foreseeable future. Ladies and gentlemen, the storm is here.