Huge Jade Cargill swerve; Tiffany Stratton's first challenger? - 4 Directions for Naomi following WWE SmackDown

WWE Friday Night SmackDown aired last night on the USA Network, and it was a big show. The program was the first three-hour edition of SmackDown. This will be the norm each week going forward.

SmackDown had a handful of title matches, with the most notable being Nia Jax vs. Naomi for the WWE Women's Championship. The two have unreal chemistry, and they delivered another fantastic match, but ultimately, The Irresistible Force was able to retain. However, it wasn't under the most fair of scenarios.

Tiffany Stratton came out and teased a cash-in, only to instead blast Naomi with the Money in the Bank briefcase behind the referee's back. This allowed Nia Jax to hit The Annihilator and pin The Glow.

Now that Naomi has lost in a major singles title match, what's next for The Glow? She has been putting on stellar performances but has come up short in title matches nonetheless. What can she do next on SmackDown?

Below are four directions for Naomi following WWE SmackDown:

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#4. Naomi and Nia Jax could continue their feud without a title on the line

Non-title feuds are often some of the most exciting storylines in all of pro wrestling. For WWE, feuds like CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre with no title involved were arguably the best of 2024.

Unfortunately, one criticism of WWE is that oftentimes women don't have great non-title feuds. That has started to change, as Michin and Chelsea Green had a great rivalry last year before a title was introduced. Now, a new non-title feud could be on the cards.

Nia Jax and Naomi have had issues over the world title, but now with the championship out of the picture, they could feud more, this time based on personal animosity. The two could even have a major gimmick match, perhaps a Last Woman Standing Match or a Two Out of Three Falls Match to end their rivalry.

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#3. Naomi and The EST could defend the Women's Tag Team Title against The Unholy Union

The Unholy Union is one of the most underrated acts in WWE. The duo is made up of Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre, two Scottish wrestlers who got their start on the indie scene and later competed in both NXT UK and NXT.

Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre have had an up-and-down run in WWE. They started strongly before immediately losing to Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler. They then barely received screen time before winning the Women's Tag Team Title last year.

The two are too good to sit around and do nothing. They could challenge Naomi and Bianca Belair for the Women's Tag Team Championship in the coming weeks. This could be a way to help The Glow and The EST look strong or allow Isla and Alba to win gold again. Either way, the match would be excellent.

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#2. Naomi and Bianca Belair could swerve everyone and be Jade Cargill's attackers

Jade Cargill is one of the most impressive athletes in WWE. She is a two-time Women's Tag Team Champion alongside Bianca Belair but unfortunately is no longer around to defend her prized title.

The Storm was found brutally assaulted backstage in the parking lot on an edition of SmackDown last November. She was left bloody on top of a car hood and has since been absent. Naomi later stepped up in Cargill's absence and teamed up with Bianca Belair to successfully defend the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship last month.

In what could be a stunning swerve, it might be revealed that Naomi and Bianca plotted to get rid of Jade. The Glow could have attacked the former AEW star when the latter least expected it. If this reveal does come, Cargill could return to television and target Naomi and Belair.

Who knows? Jade could unite with Bayley to take the two on.

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#1. She could challenge Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women's Title

As noted, Naomi nearly became the new WWE Women's Champion until Tiffany Stratton came out, swerved everyone, and blasted The Glow with the Money in the Bank briefcase, allowing Nia to retain the title. However, that wasn't the end of Tiffany's night.

Shortly after, The Buff Barbie shocked everyone by hitting Nia Jax with the briefcase. She then attacked Candice LeRae and went on to cash in her briefcase on The Irresistible Force, thus becoming the new WWE Women's Champion. It was a great moment, but Naomi might be furious.

Tiffany cost Naomi a potential title win, and now, The Glow might want a shot at The Buff Barbie. Tiffany and Naomi could feud over the prized world title, perhaps with the two going one-on-one at the 2025 Royal Rumble. This would be a big test for Stratton and a huge opportunity for Naomi one year after she returned to the company.