Best and Worst of WWE NXT - Samoa Joe confronts Champion, Big mistake in main event

#2 Worst: RAW and SmackDown need Mercedes Martinez more than NXT does

Told u before.....I ain't the one to MESS with. #RUGGEDANDTHUGGED #clickclick #BRASSCITYOG #TheRealDeal https://t.co/vsZtAVHmOs

— Mercedes Martinez (@RealMMartinez) June 16, 2021

This point isn't particularly a slight on NXT, but rather a criticism of WWE's handling of the women's division as a whole.

After Xia Li defeated Mercedes Martinez at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, it seemed like the latter was finished with the black-and-gold brand. But she's not done yet, as Martinez cut a promo on Mei Ying on Tuesday. The mysterious figure left Martinez down and out at TakeOver.

Though Martinez will remain in NXT for the moment, RAW and SmackDown could both use a veteran like Mercedes Martinez among their ranks. WWE's main roster needs more women, especially after a good number of them were released in the past few months. Both brands would surely benefit with fresh faces in the women's division.

Did @shirai_io mention that she's back? 😈 #WWENXT @ZoeyStarkWWE @CandiceLeRae @indi_hartwell pic.twitter.com/9eEB2npvVf

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) June 16, 2021

Likewise, Io Shirai looks to be staying in NXT for a while, with a feud against NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell on the horizon. Besides her, Mercedes Martinez seemed likely to move to the WWE main roster in order to fill the gaps.

But RAW and SmackDown might need to wait longer for more women from NXT. Piper Niven's debut on Monday was a step in the right direction, but the blue brand remains fairly bare. There are only seven active women on SmackDown's female roster, with an urgent need for more. For this reason, the decision to keep Martinez in NXT is somewhat questionable.