Bayley has been the MVP of the pandemic era for WWE to so many fans. Her incredible performance as the longest reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion and anchor for the women’s division was unmatched throughout the past 16 months. With her recent injury taking her out of action for nine months, the company will be scrambling for answers.
This week’s SmackDown saw a lot of changes due to the surprising injury of “The Role Model”. The WWE Universe witnessed two call-ups from NXT and another vignette teasing the debut of another. With the draft on the horizon, there could be a complete overhaul of both Raw and SmackDown rosters in the weeks to come.
With Bayley’s torn ACL, her absence leaves a huge void in the women’s division for the company. There is an influx of talented women that are fully capable of stepping up in the next few months. In this article, let’s take a look at the five WWE Superstars that could fill Bayley’s spot.
#5 Tegan Nox – WWE SmackDown/NXT
One of the biggest complaints about WWE SmackDown over the past month has been the lack of women available on the show. With all the releases in 2021, the roster has been depleted and needs some fresh talent. This was answered on the July 9th episode where NXT stars Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart made their main roster debuts.
Although the two ladies were introduced in a tag team, there is a lot of potential in both women being singles stars. Shotzi Blackheart has a unique look and a daredevil style in the ring, but it is arguable that Tegan Nox could be the star of the two. “The Girl With The Shinest Wizard” has seen many starts and stops in her WWE career due to injury.
Following her return from ACL surgery, now might be the time to go full trottle on a push for the Wales superstar. Nox has a certain likability and makes for a genuine underdog that the fans can get behind. Many of her traits are reminiscent of a young Bayley. At just 26 years old, Tegan Nox could have what it takes to fill Bayley’s spot and be a top babyface in WWE.