Examining Emma's Direction, Upside and Long-Term Potential

With NXT as her chrysalis, Emma emerged transformed, going from a bubbly, quirky character to a vicious predator who feels slighted by the world. In the process, she has proved to be one of the WWE women's division's most valuable assets.

The company has yet to make use of her talents, but she has found her footing in a new role.

This sunglasses-wearing villain, who is convinced that she deserves every speck of spotlight, is far removed from the court jester wearing a sock puppet on her hand that Emma was during her first run on the main roster. WWE paired her with Santino Marella, relegating her to comic relief, and she struggled as a result.

An extended trip to NXT revitalized her career. Emma reconfigured her gimmick, adopting a darker persona. Her ring skills improved. Her presence grew.

WWE noticed.

It has since returned her to the main roster, where she has been battling the likes of Natalya and Paige. And although her feud with Becky Lynch has been made too low of a priority, she's still getting more airtime than she did in the past and more than women like Naomi.

The company seems hesitant to invest in her, though. Her storyline with Lynch is often neglected. And Payback came and went without her on the card.

Emma offers a number of reasons to pay more attention to her moving forward.

Strengths

From the snarl she wears on her face to her habit of yanking on her foes' hair, Emma embodies a heel.

Credit: WWE.com

It's a role that she has grown more comfortable with over time, honing her skills at NXT. She now thrives as an indignant, whining, belligerent antagonist. As a result, WWE now has a wealth of options for booking the division.

Emma would be an ideal fit as a foil for Sasha Banks, Bayley or Paige. 

And while she was always a strong in-ring performer, Emma worked on her craft when her first WWE tenure flopped. Her offense has grown crisper. She's had more standout matches of late.

Banks and Charlotte may get more buzz, but Emma has quietly become one of the division's best workers.

That was on full display against Asuka at NXT TakeOver: London. That opening bout took hold of the audience early on. They made that clash feel important, making every near-fall compelling.

Miami Herald columnist Scott Fishman offered high praise after that match:

Emma also feels like more of a star after ditching the bubble-loving dancer act. While that gimmick was fun, she didn't come off as someone who could be a believable championship contender. That has changed. The new Emma would fit right into the women's title picture.

Obstacles

As a talker, Emma still has room to grow. She's intriguing when she grabs hold of a mic, but she's not electric. 

WWE can depend on her to produce solid promos. They won't be memorable ones, though. One of her best rants came before a SmackDown match with Paige:

The pre-taped interview effectively told her story. Still, it lacked punch. It was the kind of promo more worthy of the midcard than the marquee.

With a women's division that boasts sharp-tongued talents like Paige, Lynch and Banks, Emma will have to step up her verbal game to compete. 

Emma is in danger of being overshadowed in general. An impressive roster could add Bayley and Asuka from NXT in the next year or so. That will up the level of competition for the Australian grappler.

And as skilled a performer as she is, Emma doesn't have as much "it" factor as Banks or Bayley.

She also has to deal with the constant struggle for airtime that WWE's women face. History has shown that if you are not the women's champion or the No. 1 contender, you will not be a high priority. 

As her rivalry with Lynch fades in and out of the spotlight, Emma is finding that out now. The company appeared to be pushing toward a collision with her and Lynch, only to back off, casually throwing their clash on an edition of Raw.

Kevin Berge of Questionable Critics was among those to take issue with WWE's not putting the bout on Payback with proper hype to back it up:

That will happen to her again. WWE is fully behind Charlotte. At times, it seems it is with Banks, too. Emma will have to fight to convince company officials to place her on a higher rung, much like Lynch did in her feud with Charlotte.

Long-Term Potential

A realistic projection is that Emma becomes a challenger to a handful of titleholders, pushing Banks to her limit or serving as one of Bayley's tests as champ. But given how many rising stars the women's division boasts, Emma will find it tough to move past them all.

With the right opportunity, though, she has the goods to prove she belongs on center stage with the best of the women's division. 

She would make an excellent heel champion, a compelling contrast to all the contending babyfaces. Should her rivalries get ample attention, she could turn them into red-hot stories complete with a classic match here or there.

Emma could carve out a lengthy career that includes multiple title reigns and at least one feud that sticks in the audience's mind for years to come.

Be sure to check out previous editions of this ongoing series:

• Enzo Amore
• Aiden English
• Bray Wyatt
• Zack Ryder