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It’s been an eventful few months for the women’s title scene on the WWE main roster. In just a few short weeks, WWE has doubled the number of women’s title belts in circulation — first with the Women’s United States Championship on Smackdown, and now with the Women’s Intercontinental Championship on Raw. This weekend at Saturday Night’s Main Event, either Bayley, Tiffany Stratton, Michin, or Chelsea Green will walk away as the inaugural United States champ, but as one tournament comes to a close, another is just beginning.
The Inaugural Women’s Intercontinental Champion
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Though Monday Night Raw’s looming jump to Netflix means there’s more than likely to be a roster shakeup coming soon, WWE is already forging ahead with a Women’s Intercontinental Championship tournament to crown the red brand’s first women’s mid-card champion. Unquestionably, having another belt in rotation on Raw will give the women’s division some much-needed TV time outside of the Rhea Ripley/Liv Morgan feud.
While the Ripley/Morgan feud has certainly drawn viewership ratings, it leaves the Raw mid-card feeling decidedly less fleshed-out and developed than Smackdown, where Piper, Chelsea, Candice, and Naomi are constantly jockeying for power. Yes, the likes of Ivy Nile and Zelina Vega are on TV each week, but it’s as part of male-dominated storylines and stables — with new Women’s IC titles, which means the women of Raw finally have a story to call their own.
Dakota Kai staked her claim on the tournament by knocking off Shayna Baszler and Katana Chance (the latter making her Raw singles debut) in the first round, and tonight Lyra Valkyria, Ivy Nile, and Zelina Vega will battle it out to determine who moves one step closer to becoming inaugural Intercontinental championship. But while it would be delightful to see Valkyria hold gold again, and Dakota Kai is long overdue for a singles push, it’s a different member of Damage CTRL who should walk away as Intercontinental Champion: Kairi Sane.
Whether as the Pirate Princess in NXT or as a Kabuki Warrior alongside Asuka, Kairi Sane delivers on all fronts — a brilliant technician with the best elbow drop in the business, and a vibrant, entertaining performer who’s charming no matter babyface or heel. With a parasol in one hand and a telescope in the other, there are few women on Raw as perfectly suited to the Intercontinental Championship as Kairi.
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