Nia Jax overcame Bianca Belair on SmackDown to advance to the finals of the WWE Queen of the Ring tournament. With this victory, she'll face RAW's Lyra Valkyria for the right to wear the Queen's crown.
The titles of 'King' and 'Queen' and some accessories were the main rewards for past tournament winners. As announced by Triple H, the 2024 King and Queen of the Ring will receive a title shot at their brand's world champion at SummerSlam in Cleveland.
If Jax wins the tournament, she'll be facing Bayley, provided she is still the WWE Women's Champ. If she is, Jax should dethrone Bayley for the next four reasons.
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
#4. The dynamic of face-to-heel challengers
After the WWE Draft 2024, SmackDown had Bayley, Nia Jax, Bianca Belair, and Jade Cargill as its top four women. Naomi is also a former champion but hasn't held a title in over seven years.
The rest of the roster will rotate in and out to challenge for the title and then retreat back into the division. As mentioned, the roster has a few more faces who could challenge Jax should she beat Bayley.
Cargill has unfinished business with her and Belair is always in the title picture. Michin could also get a push or Tiffany Stratton could turn face due to the crowd's response to her. Naomi may also want revenge for being knocked out by Jax in the first round.
#3. The potential of the 2024 Money in the Bank winner
Money in the Bank always has the ability to shape a new or tenured star's future. Big E was with WWE for nearly a decade before he won the briefcase. Conversely, Iyo Sky won the case after only a year on the main roster.
This year's potential winners are a plethora of stars at different points in their careers. Cargill, Belair, Stratton, Natalya, or someone like Zoey Stark could win this year's case.
Due to Nia Jax being one of the best heels currently in WWE, whoever cashes in on her would be cheered. If someone cashed in on Bayley, they'd more than likely be booed.
To make sure the star who cashes in is received favorably, Jax should beat Bayley and then eventually fall victim to the cash-in.
#2. Nia Jax has greatly improved her in-ring skills
One knock on The Annihilator during her first run in WWE was her wrestling skills. Being larger than most of her opponents meant that Nia Jax had a different challenge when figuring out how hard to hit or deliver a move. It led to some unfortunate incidents that labeled her as unsafe.
Since her return to WWE, her in-ring skills have seemingly improved greatly. Jax knows how much to put in or leave out of a move and her delivery of offense is much crisper.
She remains one of the most despised heel performers and that's a testament to her keeping up with her character. WWE has rewarded stars in the past for improving and working hard, and Jax has done just that over the last two years.
#1. It's been years since her last singles title win
The last time Nia Jax held singles gold was after she beat Alexa Bliss for the RAW women's title at WrestleMania 34. That was bacn in 2018. It's been over six years since The Annihilator has been a major Champion in WWE.
During that time, she has held the women's tag team titles twice. However, holding a major women's championship means that a star is atop an entire division.
Jax claims to have destroyed everyone from Becky Lynch, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair since returning. She should beat Bayley to prove herself right to any critics.