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WWE SmackDown this week was a fantastic show. John Cena opened the night with a stellar promo. He was also involved in the closing segment of the night in the blue brand, albeit under unfortunate circumstances, thanks to a beatdown by The Bloodline. There was a whole lot happening on the show.
The talk of the night might be the WWE Women's Championship bout. Asuka and IYO SKY clashed for around 20 minutes in what many feel like was a match of the year contender, at least for the SmackDown brand. The bout delivered in spades.
In the end, Asuka was very close to defeating SKY, but Bayley interfered. Charlotte Flair then began fighting with The Role Model. The distraction was enough for The Empress of Tomorrow to get hit with double knees and then a beautiful Moonsault.
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Now that The Genius Of The Sky has retained her title, all eyes are on what she may do next. The Fastlane premium live event is rapidly approaching, and IYO could end up defending her belt then and there. Who could she potentially compete against?
Below are four possible challengers for IYO SKY's championship at WWE Fastlane 2023.
#4. She could have a rematch with Asuka
Asuka is one of the most accomplished female superstars of all time. She's held the NXT Women's Championship, RAW Women's Championship, and SmackDown Women's Championship. Asuka is also a former Women's Tag Team Champion and WWE Women's Champion.
As noted, The Empress Of Tomorrow and The Genius Of The Sky clashed on WWE SmackDown over IYO's coveted belt. Asuka ultimately lost by pinfall, but it was thanks to Bayley's interference and a Charlotte-led distraction.
It could certainly be argued that Asuka deserves a rematch. Given how well the bout was received by fans on social media, another round of the two clashing would be more than welcome. Fastlane could be the time and place to make it happen.
#3. Zelina Vega has several wins over SKY
Zelina Vega is one of WWE's most popular female stars. She is on the SmackDown brand, representing the Latino World Order. Zelina is a former Women's Tag Team Champion and Queen's Crown winner.
IYO SKY and Vega have had three singles matches against each other since June. Zelina managed to win the first two encounters that the pair had, but SKY won their most recent battle on WWE SmackDown.
Still, that record is very much in Vega's favor. As a result, she could step up and challenge IYO to another bout, this time at Fastlane. With The Genius Of The Sky's title on the line, can Zelina continue her winning ways or will IYO tie up their recent series and make it 2-2?
#2. Charlotte Flair always wants championship gold
Charlotte Flair has arguably been the most dominant female superstar of the past decade or so. She quickly rose to success in NXT, before joining the main roster in 2015. From there, Flair won every title she encountered, oftentimes on more than one occasion. She's a gold collector.
It could be argued that Flair's attempt to stop Bayley's antics ringside was what ultimately cost Asuka the WWE Women's Championship. Still, The Queen was obviously attempting to do the right thing, even if it backfired.
Flair dislikes Bayley and the two have had an on-screen feud for years now. That likely carries over to IYO. Given that SKY is the reigning champion, The Queen will surely want to win yet another title to add to her long list of reigns. Hurting Bayley in the process will just be a bonus.
#1. Shotzi could challenge for the WWE Women's Championship
Shotzi is one of WWE's most underrated superstars. She's been on the main roster for a little over three years, but has only recently become a recurring prominent figure with consistent television time.
The Ballsy Badass has a vendetta against Damage CTRL. Bayley cut her hair backstage, which led to Shotzi snapping, and shaving her own head in response. Since then, the energetic Blackheart has been chasing The Role Model with clippers and scissors.
While Shotzi has mostly been focusing her energy on Bayley, IYO SKY was part of the attack that led to her green locks being cut. Cutting off The Role Model's hair may be quality revenge, but the sweetest payback could be winning the WWE Women's Championship at Fastlane.
