Iyo Sky and the 3 Most Pleasant Surprises from WWE This Year
WWE can be a bit predictable sometimes, but WrestleMania season still delivers star-making moments and hidden gems.
Pro wrestling fans pride themselves on how much arbitrary trivia they can remember or how knowledgeable they are about backstage happenings. This frequently cynical fanbase tries to predict every outcome and booking for our favorite storylines and wrestlers.
Honestly, it's hard for longtime viewers not to feel like we've seen it all before, or point out tell-tale signs of where we think a match or story is going. Most of us do this without a second thought because we're so overconfident in our understanding of this absurd pastime.
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So much so that it's nice when WWE genuinely surprises us again with a well-executed plot twist or unexpected outcome. When the audience assumes the worst or grows too impatient, it's also exciting to see the right character change or in-ring style click for a wrestler we underestimated.
With this in mind, these are three of the most pleasant surprises from WWE so far this year. Let us know what you've enjoyed more than expected in the comments section.
Naomi
Naomi’s recent heel turn has been incredibly entertaining, and she’s clearly having so much fun with it.
The former women's tag team champion has some of the most passionate fans online. They have been waiting for a meaningful storyline since she returned to WWE last January.
During her appearance on The Ringer's Masked Man Show, the 15-year veteran said she has worked her whole career for a moment and a story like this. So, it has been refreshing to see her finally get the opportunity to prove she can cut promos and showcase her acting chops.
Her feud with Jade Cargill kicked off Elimination Chamber on March 1 and became one of the most consistent storylines throughout the road to WrestleMania 41.
In fact, the two earned a spot on the card in the first non-title women's match at the event since 2006.
Naomi’s creativity, character work and social media presence have been the highlight of this rivalry since she revealed she attacked Cargill.
WWE Tag Team Title TLC Match
The Street Profits vs. The Motor City Machine Guns vs. DIY delivered an instant classic in the main event of the April 25 episode of SmackDown.
This WWE tag team title match was nearly 23 minutes of nonstop action and enough inventive spots to keep the most hardcore fans on the edge of their seats.
Don't be surprised if it ends up on many lists as a match-of-the-year candidate.
It's a shame the first Table, Ladders and Chairs match since 2020 didn't take place on The Grandest Stage of Them All. WWE has been building toward this showdown since the Royal Rumble, and the payoff belonged on the card.
Edge and Christian, The Dudleys and The Hardy Boyz famously tore the house down at WrestleMania 17. This would have marked a fitting return to the event where TLC 2 immortalized the three teams in 2001.
Nevertheless, this was the best iteration of this stipulation we've seen in years and an excellent showcase of three of the most talented tandems in the company.
Iyo Sky
Iyo Sky's current run as WWE women's world champion has been the most pleasant surprise of the year so far.
The Japanese star has been one of the best wrestlers on the roster since last year. However, it was unclear how she would factor into WrestleMania 41 after she didn't win her qualifying match for the women's Elimination Chamber match.
Who could have guessed she would defeat Rhea Ripley for the women's world title on the March 3 episode of Raw and successfully defend it against her and Bianca Belair a few weeks later at The Showcase of the Immortals?
Even more, the critically acclaimed Triple Threat was the best match of the two-night event.
Longtime fans of The Genius of the Sky already knew she could compete at such a high level due to her time as the ace of Stardom. Still, wrestlers from Japan don't always transition this well to mainstream television.
As Shinsuke Nakamura noted, Sky was the first Japanese wrestler to win on the main card at WrestleMania in 27 years. The reactions from her peers and her parents in the crowd made it the feel-good moment of the weekend, and she continues to live up to the hype that surrounded her signing in 2017.
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