It’s official! Bianca Belair is WrestleMania bound. So, what does that mean? Well, any number of things but ultimately, who knows. It’s not yet clear if a live audience will be in attendance and even so, it would probably be a fraction of fans compared to previous years. Taking this all into account, what can we expect for Belair? To be honest, whatever works best.
Belair is showing she is certainly the E-S-T of them all. So, who is a formidable opponent? WWE’s Women’s Division is strong but on SmackDown, it’s relatively weak. Sasha Banks and Bayley are the most renowned but outside of that everyone else is either a veteran or up and coming.
To stick with what’s in play, Belair’s sights should be set on Sasha Banks. She’s the SmackDown Women’s Titleholder. If WrestleMania is the goal, one should go for broke. It makes sense that Banks would be Belair’s target. Yet, it’s only February. This is relevant if Banks holds the title until April.
Anything can happen between now and then. WWE could possibly switch things up with Belair picking up a title before WrestleMania. In that case, she would need an opponent for the “biggest event of the year”.Nevertheless, there are only so many ways this can go. For instance, Bayley is currently not a WrestleMania option.
There’s no incentive. So, if Banks isn’t the immediate adversary, then Carmella may be next. Carmella could state that she’s not ready to drop her quest for gold. Belair could get the opportunity to change her reality. Given Feb. 5th’s SmackDown, a Triple Threat match could be on offer.
For a respectful twist, Natalya and/or Tamina could get in her way. Both being veterans, they could easily “resent” Belair jumping to the front of the line even if it was done fairly. Tamina is well overdue for some appreciation which makes her more likely to hold a grudge. It’s not a pertinent direction but it’s a story that could be told.
An “old beef” could be reignited if Rhea Ripley goes to SmackDown. Photos of Belair’s friendship with her are currently circulating on social media. In the WWE Universe, that’s the perfect time for conflict. They could either have a rift or relight an old feud from their NXT days. Ripley’s intimidating stature versus Belair’s athletic makings could make for an interesting juxtaposition.
Other possible opponents could be Shayna Baszler or Nia Jax. Being the Women’s Tag Team Champions, they have the right to show up wherever. In terms of NXT history, Baszler and Belair have met before. That could prove a compelling rivalry. Belair boasting her physical prowess could provoke true practitioners. Baszler may always be goaded by a need to prove skill over brute strength.
Conversely, if Belair prefers to further prove her status as the “-EST” she could willingly challenge or answer one from Nia Jax. The blatant size difference could potentially establish, without a doubt, Belair’s dominance should she win. If Belair can carry Otis, why would Jax be a problem? Regardless, if WWE uses this sort of angle, a Belair win could allow her to take the place of either Baszler or Jax as a Tag Team Champion. The rules of the WWE Universe are very fluid. If it makes for good television, it will probably be allowed.
On that note, Asuka is another possible opponent. She may be on RAW but a title is a title. Belair’s recent RAW appearance could suggest a stipulation where if Belair wins the RAW title, she can switch brands.
Overall, the WWE Universe is very much like a crapshoot. Much of the time it is experimentation in play but that’s not a completely bad thing. A good way for Bianca Belair to utilize this space is to lean towards those who work best with her. Storylines can be weak or repetitive. Belair will have to find opponents who make her climb to the top interesting. It’s not impossible and who that will be is certainly not set in stone.