Charlotte vs. Naomi and 5 New Rivalries for WWE SmackDown Women's Division
The women's division on SmackDown has drastically changed thanks to the Superstar Shake-up with the most successful woman in modern WWE, Charlotte Flair, moving to SmackDown Live and SmackDown's most successful performer, Alexa Bliss, heading to Monday Night Raw alongside veteran Mickie James.
The scene has changed so radically that most of the feuds the division has to offer are brand-new to fans. In fact, the only rivalries that have truly been exhausted are Natalya vs. Charlotte and Becky Lynch. The potential clashes are all exciting and refreshingly novel.
From battles between the brand's two new second-generation stars to a long-protected feud between two long-standing veterans who have become the top stars on SmackDown, many matches can come from this fresh division that could help make the division even better than Raw's celebrated women's division.
At the moment, the whole division is embroiled in a stable war with Charlotte, Naomi and Lynch vs. Natalya, Carmella and Tamina, who have labeled themselves the Welcoming Committee. This has been a great way to introduce the new dynamic in the division, but ultimately the scene will boil down to more personal feuds that make for the best television.
This list of the top five potential feuds on the brand will only include rivalries that have not been seen yet in WWE, and Nikki Bella will not be included due to the uncertainty of her status with WWE after taking time off following her engagement to John Cena.
Becky Lynch vs. Carmella (and James Ellsworth)
1 of 5
No woman in WWE has become more hateable than Carmella, while there are few, if any, wrestlers more likable than Becky Lynch. The pairing almost makes too much sense as the two have rarely wrestled one another and have personalities that clash naturally.
This would not be a technical classic as Carmella is the least experienced wrestler on the roster with few quality bouts to her name. However, Lynch has a knack for bringing out the best in her opponents. If she can help Carmella smooth out her transition issues in the ring as well as make her limited offense look impactful, this can easily be a top women's feud.
This rivalry would also potentially lead to the rare intergender match in WWE. This type of contest has been avoided in WWE due to the obvious difference in stature between men and women in the company, but James Ellsworth is so unassuming in stature that he would be able to wrestle against Lynch without any suspension of disbelief.
Both Carmella and Ellsworth are cocky loudmouth heels who have not faced repercussions for their attitude, and Lynch can help make them look good while also playing to the crowd by beating them down and shutting them up.
Charlotte Flair vs. Tamina
2 of 5
On the last night of Charlotte's run on Monday Night Raw, she matched size and power with Nia Jax in a way that is rarely seen in the women's division. Now a new clash of powerhouses is possible on SmackDown Live between two second-generation wrestlers with Tamina, one of the few wrestlers who is larger than Charlotte in stature.
This match already has multiple stories behind it that can be utilized. When Tamina debuted on SmackDown, Shane McMahon presented her as the second-rate version of Charlotte despite her seven years of experience in WWE, which likely fueled her decision to join Natalya and Carmella in the Welcoming Committee. Tamina has since frequently done the most damage to Charlotte of the trio.
Tamina has always been underrated in the ring due to her debut at a time when the women's wrestling scene was woefully underdeveloped and her bland personality. Charlotte shares similarities to WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix, who gave Tamina the best match of her career at WWE Elimination Chamber 2012.
In order to sell Charlotte's transition to a hero role on SmackDown, she will need to be the underdog at times in matches, and Tamina can physically dominate Charlotte at a level that has rarely been seen. The physicality in this bout could rival main event heavyweight showdowns.
Becky Lynch vs. Tamina
3 of 5
Tamina has not wrestled on air for over a year now, so she needs the right opponent to help reintroduce her to fans. Few faces have proved better at building up heels than Lynch, who is the ultimate female underdog.
For years, Tamina was the most physically imposing performer in the women's division with her five-inch and 35-pound advantage over Lynch a noticeable difference. Much like the clashes between Jax and Bayley on Monday Night Raw, this could be SmackDown's David vs. Goliath feud as Lynch must find a way to bring down the imposing Snuka to her level.
If the plan for the immediate future of the division is to pair off members of the Welcoming Committee with the faces of the brand, this pairing would be an easy sell. Lynch already has some experience with Tamina due to her feud with Team BAD back in 2016 with the tag team match of Sasha Banks and Lynch vs. Naomi and Tamina an early showcase of the quality the Women's Revolution could bring to the main roster.
This feud does not have the major appeal of other women's feuds, but it is certainly one of the best pairings of style on the roster. Tamina would be made by a feud of this nature, while it would give Lynch a chance to steal the show outside of the title scene.
Naomi vs. Natalya
4 of 5
If the Welcoming Committee is a long-term staple on SmackDown Live, the stable's leader, Natalya, will be in line for a title match sooner rather than later. Two veterans of the division, Natalya and Naomi should match up well, with Natalya fully embracing her role as SmackDown's No. 1 female heel.
Despite Natalya and Naomi's six years on the main roster together, the two have rarely clashed and never for one of the women's championships one-on-one. This is particularly surprising given how easily their styles mesh. Naomi is athletic and flexible, while Natalya is the women's division technician who stretches and breaks her foes.
This feud has all the elements of a classic WWE rivalry with the babyface overachiever living her dream against the conniving heel with a bag of tricks and a few friends to back her up. From the start of the women's division stable war, this looked like the end goal, with Natalya using Tamina and Carmella to get the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Natalya and Naomi are two of the best holdovers from the previous era in the women's division, and it is only a matter of time before this feud happens. It could be the top female feud on SmackDown Live for a while, even if that means Charlotte is left working the secondary feud.
Charlotte Flair vs. Naomi
5 of 5
When Charlotte Flair debuted on SmackDown Live, the immediate excitement surrounded a potential feud between Charlotte and current SmackDown Live women's champion Naomi, and it only took a week for the two to clash in a match that showcased the potential between the duo.
However, storylines have aligned to force Charlotte and Naomi to be uneasy allies. With Charlotte now a newly turned face, this battle has been put on hold for the time being. This only means that this rivalry between the two top stars in the division right now will have even more story behind it once they finally clash again.
Charlotte has worked well with faster rivals with a standard pattern to her matches of wearing down her opponents, only for them to make furious comebacks. Naomi has a ready-made comeback sequence that has only improved over the past few months that, coupled with the similar fast-striking ability of both women, should make for a feud good enough to even main-event SmackDown pay-per-views.
Naomi lately has been driven by the need to prove herself, and despite Charlotte's relative lack of experience, she has become the ultimate proving ground for female competitors. This would not only be a money feud but also help to solidify Naomi as one of the elite female performers in WWE.
