Fixing The WWE Smackdown Women’s Division

2025 has not been the best year for women on the Blue Brand. Aside from a WrestleMania feud with Charlotte, Tiffany Stratton spent most of the year trapped in a feud with Nia Jax or Jade Cargill. The Women’s United States Championship debuted at the end of 2024 and was held by Chelsea Green, Zelina Vega, and Giulia. The lack of challengers for both titles showed that the SmackDown women’s division is both shallow and badly booked.

Part of that was due to injuries; a broken finger has kept Bianca Belair out for most of the year, while a neck injury has put the future of Piper Niven in doubt. The rest of it comes down to Road Dogg’s refusal to build real stories for the women. When your champions are just spinning their wheels until they lose the belt, it’s an issue. Let’s take some time to examine the division and try to resolve the issue.

The Main Event

Jade Cargill won the WWE Women’s Championship at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLI in November. She has had zero defenses since then. Other women at the top of the card include Tiffany Stratton, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss (both of whom are working the tag team division currently), Jordynne Grace, and the injured Bianca Belair.

Grace just debuted and looks set to be the first challenger for Cargill. Which works for me, Grace is a solid hand and has experience at the top of the TNA Knockouts division. I worry that her inability to win anything in NXT will follow her to the main roster, but time will tell. I think Stratton would serve better moving to Raw. After spending most of 2025 at the top of SmackDown, a change in scenery would do her good.

I’d trade Stratton for Nile (and the Creed Brothers), while Nile isn’t ready for the top, Giulia is. Move Giulia into the main event scene on SmackDown and let her show off against Grace, Flair, Bliss, Cargill, and Belair. Speaking of moving women into the main event scene, let’s get Chelsea Green up there as well. She has more than proven she is deserving of the spot and is as popular as the rest of the women at the top.

This will give us a 2026 main event scene consisting of Grace, Cargill, Green, Giulia, Bliss, Flair, and Belair. Bliss and Flair are probably going to split up at some point and feud. While that happens, Grace and Cargill can spend the first few months feuding. If Belair is back in the Rumble, I can see a triple threat with Cargill, Belair, and Grace at WrestleMania. Give Green the Money in the Bank this year, as it fits her gimmick completely. It will also let her be a constant threat while still hiding behind Fyre.

I could see Giulia beating Grace for the title at SummerSlam and then having to worry about her old rival cashing in after Money in the Bank. (It’s so weird that Money in the Bank is happening after SummerSlam this year.)

The Midcard

Giulia is the second two-time Women’s United States Champion. And her current group of challengers hasn’t changed. It’s Green, Vega, Michin, and B-Fab. So, like I already said, I’d bring Ivy Nile to SmackDown. The Women’s Intercontinental division is busy on Raw, and a change of scenery would be good for Nile.

On top of that, I would bring up Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, Jacy Jane, Tatum Paxley, and Blake Monroe. All of these women are more than talented enough to carry the midcard of the SmackDown Women’s Division. I’d actually have Ruca be the one to dethrone Giulia, freeing her and Green to move up. Michin and B-Fab can stay in the Tag Team Division, as they would be replaced by Vice, Paxley, Jane, and Nile.

I’d wait to bring Monroe up until around SummerSlam. This would allow the rest of the women time to establish themselves and the division. It would also allow Monroe time to have a run as the NXT Women’s Champion. Ruca would be able to carry the division with great matches against the others. And Zaria could show up after a couple of months, finally turning on her friend after being “left behind” in NXT.

After Monroe shows up, she can be the one to take the belt off Ruca, because Ruca would be ready for the main event at this point. The Monroe can be herself and run the Women’s United States scene for the rest of the year. Of course, when you have someone beautiful and arrogant, the best foil may be someone who is an outcast, someone who is dark. Someone like the vastly underrated and underutilized Nikki Cross. I am ready for her to get back in the ring, and she could have some great matches against Monroe.

The Biggest Change Needed

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who they call up. Because as long as Road Dogg is still the head of creative for SmackDown, it won’t do much. It’s already been rumored that there is going to be a creative change for SmackDown. It’s a change I hope will help bring actual creativity to the Women’s Division. Because they have some good talent, and can easily fill the holes. But without good stories behind them, it’s not going to do much.