WWE over the Limit Results: What's Next for Beth Phoenix After Loss to Layla?

At WWE's Over the Limit pay-per-view, Beth Phoenix came up short in her attempt to take the Divas Championship away from Layla El, after falling prey to a modified neckbreaker out of nowhere.

The finish came as such a shock partly because Beth had largely dominated most of the bout, ruthlessly and astutely targeting Layla's surgically-repaired knee every chance she got. Beth came in with a winning strategy and, had it not been for her foe's perseverance, would have probably walked out the new Divas Champion. 

Alas, for "The Glamazon," she underestimated Layla's quickness and resourcefulness and got arrogant, leaving herself vulnerable to Layla's new modified neckbreaker finisher.  

The match itself was very good, especially by the (low) standards for WWE's current women's division. Both girls putting in the effort, making the most of the opportunity they were given and churning out a technically-competent and enjoyable bout, with great exchanges and a real story at its heart (Layla, in particular, sold her ravaged knee very well, no doubt getting a ton of fans on her side in the process).

That they were given far more in-ring time than most women in WWE are (match went slightly over seven minutes) certainly helped matters. 

But while the match may have been a personal triumph for Beth, as she got to once again demonstrate to the world why she is widely considered one of the best female wrestlers in the company, the fact is she still lost and her floundering career looks to be as aimless as ever.

So what's next for her?

Well, first of all, we have to consider that the former SHIMMER star has probably gone as far as she can as a heel on the red brand. She's faced everyone. And in the case of frequent foe Kelly Kelly, way too many times to count.

With this in mind, a quick switch to SmackDown might be in order. Certainly, there are a great deal of more fresh opportunities for the former Divas Championship on the blue brand than there are on WWE's flagship show.   

She could take on former friend Natalya (matters between them never have truly been resolved) in a storyline that would surely produce great women's matches, or even enter a program with the popular but inexperienced Kaitlyn, who could surely benefit from working an angle with an experienced veteran diva like Beth.

Staying on Raw and turning face is also a distinct possibility, and would certainly be an interesting development for Beth, who hasn't played a good guy in a long time. However, one problem is that with Layla, Kelly and Alicia already firmly embedded as the brand's face divas, and unless one of them turn heel, Beth's chances for upward mobility if she turned seem very limited.

On the other hand, Beth can wait around for monster heel Kharma to return and instigate a much-talked about feud with her. Although with WWE's creative team reportedly struggling to come up with ideas for the former TNA Knockout's return, she may not want to hold her breath.     

Ultimately, as we examine Over the Limit, Phoenix's future looks as up in the air as ever.

My best guess is that a switch to SD would be a fresh start and a boon for her career and help shake up WWE's stagnant women's division in the process. But maybe WWE's booking team will have other ideas. We'll have to wait and see.