Ember Moon Poised for Breakout on WWE SmackDown Live After Wasted 1st Year

Ember Moon started off hot on WWE's main roster when she debuted the night after WWE WrestleMania 34, but a lack of follow-up and creative direction caused her to flounder for the remainder of her run on Raw.

Her talents went to waste, as she wasn't involved in anything of note throughout 2018. Instead, she competed in meaningless six-woman tag team matches, forged a short-lived alliance with Nia Jax and was relegated to the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal in her return to the ring at WrestleMania 35.

Now a member of SmackDown Live's women's division, Moon is poised for a breakout year and should be holding gold before long.

To her credit, Moon made the most of her time on Raw by having strong showings whenever possible. She shone in the women's Money in the Bank Ladder match and came close to winning the Battle Royal at the Evolution pay-per-view.

Her untapped potential was on full display whenever she stepped between the ropes, but because the brand was stockpiled with so much talent, there wasn't much room for her to blossom as a performer.

Ronda Rousey was constantly the centerpiece of the division, Sasha Banks was a fixture on Raw week after week and Nia Jax was in contention for a championship more often than not. SmackDown has its fair share of stars, but as the Land of Opportunity, it will be a better fit for her in the long run.

Moon made her SmackDown debut with a bang when she confronted Raw and SmackDown women's champion Becky Lynch in her first appearance on the blue brand on April 16. She then went on to win an eight-woman tag team match, so she's already been established as a player in the division.

Charlotte Flair went on become the No. 1 contender to the title the next week, but Moon might be better off entering this year's women's Money in the Bank ladder match. None of the participants have yet to be announced, but she has as good of a chance as anyone of coming out on top.

If so, Moon would be tailor-made for a rivalry with Lynch over the SmackDown Women's Championship in time for SummerSlam. They have yet to cross paths one-on-one, but it's safe to assume they will have excellent chemistry.

Credit: WWE.com

Aside from possibly Bayley—who could be on the verge of a heel turn—Moon is the perfect person to relieve Lynch of that SmackDown women's title. Charlotte as champion has been done to death, and Asuka and Kairi Sane are chasing the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.

Once Lynch drops the strap, she will likely join the Raw roster full time, leaving Moon to replace her as the top dog in SmackDown's women's division. Few women can claim that they hold a victory The Man since she rose to superstardom in 2018, which is why Moon would benefit big time from beating her.

Before that can happen, she must first be built back up to feel like a threat after enduring so much damage during her Raw tenure.

While she is incredibly skilled in the ring, Moon's mic skills have always been her biggest weakness. Her promo felt forced when she spoke on SmackDown upon her arrival, so that's something she will have to work on before she can hold gold.

Beyond that, though, she possess the necessary tools to be the crown jewel of SmackDown's women's division in the future. From a feud with Flair to rekindling her rivalry with Asuka from NXT, there are many directions WWE could take her in, assuming it can stay the course with her character and ensure she remains on the right track.

Moon should have been a championship contender as soon as she arrived on the main roster, but thanks to the 2019 Superstar Shake-up, at least she will finally get the opportunity to show the world what she's all about on SmackDown.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.