5 Wrestlers Who Should Be NXT Women's Champion After Becky Lynch (& 5 Who Should Not)

After No Mercy, Becky Lynch is truly The Man to beat in NXT. The Horsewoman defeated Tiffany Stratton in a rematch of their September 12 encounter to remain the White and Gold's Women's Champion. Now the entire division wants a shot.

It is anyone's guess who succeeds her as NXT Women's Champion. But of course, not everyone has an equal opportunity at the title, as some of the following women below have a stronger case than others. Here are five wrestlers who should be the next champion, and five names who shouldn't.

10 Should Not Be: Gigi Dolin

Ever since Toxic Attraction died in February, Gigi Dolin has not exactly had the best of times in NXT. While her feud with former "sister" Jacy Jayne was admittedly a good example of dragging something out, with them exchanging wins and interference before Gigi ended it with a victory in a Weaponized Cage Match, she has been at best treading water since.

Losses to Kiana James and Blair Davenport (the latter three nights after No Mercy) have all but served to erase all the momentum she had attained from putting the Toxic Attraction split behind her, and now she may be closer to a pink slip than a title shot...

9 Should Be: Jacy Jayne

Speaking of Jacy Jayne, she seems to still be both as bad (in terms of character alignment) and good (in terms of where she is creatively headed) as ever.

After her defeat by Gigi Dolin, Jacy showed her continued lack of repentance by targeting Lyra Valkyria. And even though that feud resulted in two defeats, she ultimately rebounded with a win over Thea Hail, who has now decided to befriend her. Could this mean a golden ascension?

There is still more to be written in this story, but Jacy already has a head start.

8 Should Not Be: Ivy Nile

Remember Diamond Mine? The very promising stable that was mostly led by the Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile - three of the most unbelievably athletic persons on any roster?

Unfortunately, they have become lost in the shuffle as of this writing, with Julius and Brutus coming up short in what feels like their one-millionth tag title match. But they do not feel the inconsistency as badly as Ivy Nile.

Once touted as a pitbull who combined power with agility, Diamond Mine's resident female has been mostly nowhere to bee seen since her mini-program with The Schism's Ave Raine. That is not how a potential star should be booked.

7 Should Be: Cora Jade

"Where has Cora Jade been?" That question has been on everyone's minds ever since NXT's resident Mean Girl lost to Dana Brooke at Gold Rush.

After that match, Jade claimed that she was done with NXT, but honestly, she should not be. While she is no doubt someone that WWE can build its women's division around in the future, she is also still young and needs some more refinement to her overall presentation before being considered for a call-up.

A title reign will do that goal wonders, and will it not be poetic if her ex-best friend (more on her later) is among her opponents?

6 Should Not Be: Sol Ruca

Once she returns from injury, Sol Ruca is expected to get a major push, and it is not hard to see why: she is incredibly athletic (her finisher is literally one-of-a-kind) and photogenic (a tall, well-built, and perpetually smiling blonde). However, that does not mean said push should involve a title push.

While she has shown massive improvements in both her in-ring skill and character projection, she is still a work in progress, especially regarding what her onscreen motivation is. It is therefore in Shawn Michaels' best interests to keep building her up in non-title feuds before pulling the trigger on her.

5 Should Be: Kiana James

Who would have thought that Kiana James would turn into one of the most captivating prospects WWE currently has? Ever since she adopted the "very intelligent fighter" gimmick, she has elevated herself, whether in victory (Gigi Dolin) or defeat (Fallon Henley).

Before Becky Lynch entered the mix, KJ was actually Tiffany Stratton's last defense, and while she ultimately came up short, her gimmick still has championship potential. The woman already claims to have many "degrees"; now how big will her ego grow with a title around her?

4 Should Not Be: Nikkita Lyons

Nikkita Lyons is the kind of woman whom, back in his day, Vince McMahon would have been very eager to push to the moon. Powerfully built yet very attractive, she truly encapsulates the best of two worlds.

Nevertheless, her injury history and rumored anti-vaccine stance may have WWE wary of strapping the rocket onto her. And even without those factors, they still should be - she is still rather green and uninteresting, as evidenced by her feud with Lash Legend. Now those are major black marks for a purported body-positive figure.

3 Should Be: Blair Davenport

Not even three months into her return stint in mainline NXT, former NXT UK prospect Blair Davenport is already showing signs of being a pillar of the women's division. Her no-nonsense in-ring mix of brutality and technicality and stone-cold demeanor are currently unlike anything ever seen in the promotion.

The woman has fought for a myriad of titles throughout her career, winning some of them, but capturing the NXT Women's Championship will represent the ultimate statement that she needs to cement herself as one of the best.

2 Should Not Be: Tiffany Stratton

This entry might hurt Tiffany Stratton fans, but two defeats in title matches usually means an NXT prospect on his/her way to being promoted to the big leagues (unless it is Bron Breakker). And her case is no different.

Stratton's reign should have been longer, just to allow her to continue rubbing it in her peers' faces. But this is what happens when a company like WWE chooses to pursue instant short-term satisfaction over more satisfying long-term narratives. Still, hopefully this does not become an omen of things to come.

1 Should Be: Roxanne Perez

Roxanne Perez NXT Women's Champion Cropped

Roxanne Perez's initial reign may be one of the most cursed in the history of the NXT Women's Championship. Her reign was never supposed to begin when it did, but then something came up and Mandy Rose had to be gone. And then came that weird saga of "The Prodigy" collapsing after a match as executives were rumored to want her on the main roster as soon as possible.

A call-up did not happen, but it did affect the reign, with her losing the belt to Indi Hartwell after just three and a half months. Now, she could use a more definitive second one to truly cement herself as a future star to watch.