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The WWE Women's Division has taken its fair share of blows recently. They've released some established names and had a couple of their biggest stars literally walk out the door. Outside of a handful of superstars, the rest of the roster remains unproven or unknown.
However, WWE has a host of young prospects that are ready — or close to ready — to make a splash on the main roster. Over the last couple of weeks, we've seen one of these ladies take a major step towards the promotion's huge spotlight.
Raquel Rodriguez may have gone through a recent change in her moniker (her original surname is Gonzalez), but she appears determined to make sure everyone knows her name, no matter what it is.
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The 31-year-old powerhouse recently responded to Ronda Rousey's open challenge for her SmackDown Women's Championship. Most observers have agreed that Rodriguez took most of the match, and The Rowdy One slipped out with a hard-fought victory.
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Very few performers, like Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, have been allowed to get over on Rousey. She's been heavily protected in her role as The Baddest Woman on the Planet. Rodriguez was anointed with an opportunity against the champion, and she shone at that moment.
Raquel Rodriguez looks to be one of the next big superstars in WWE
The former NXT Women's Champion has all the attributes WWE is looking for. She's got a solid wrestling background, she's right around the right age to be called up to the main roster, and she's photogenic.
At 6'0", Rodriguez is much bigger and more powerful than most of her roster mates. She literally towers over performers like Alexa Bliss and Zelina Vega. She obviously incorporates that into her ring style, using a lot of power moves to wear down opponents. And quite frankly? She does it with an exclamation point, punctuating every maneuver with a little extra 'oomph' behind it.
She tagged up with Rousey on this week's episode of SmackDown, as they would battle Natalya and Shayna Baszler in what turned out to be another winning effort.
Even with all those established talents being in the ring together, the focus was on Rodriguez, who hit the Texana Bomb on Baszler to get the pin.
It's been a while since we've seen WWE pass the torch to a women's competitor in this way, and it's certainly served both Rodriguez and the promotion well thus far. She has all the makings of a future champion on the main roster. It's almost a given.
If Vince McMahon and his creative team continue to handle the development of Raquel Rodriguez in the same manner, they may have discovered their next great female star. The company just has to stay the course and continue to do what they're currently doing.
What do you think the future holds for Raquel Rodriguez in WWE? Do you think she could eventually become the RAW or SmackDown Women's Champion? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
