It’s no secret that the WWE women’s division is incredibly stacked at the moment, especially at the NXT level. Whether we’re looking at already established stars like Bianca Belair, Iyo Sky, or Bayley, or looking at younger performers like Jaida Parker, Roxanne Perez, or Lola Vice, the division is one of the best in all of professional wrestling, and it’s not particularly close.
With many names looking to make a name for themselves as a part of the next generation, there’s a new name to add to that list: Kendal Grey. Grey is looking to make her presence felt much sooner than expected. Grey has the raw skill, potential, and character to become a major player in the company. She is certainly the one to watch in not only the WWE NXT women’s division, but soon, maybe even the entire WWE women’s division.
Kendal Grey is the one to watch in the WWE women’s division
Many professional wrestling media members and fans all over the world have begun paying attention to Kendal Grey in her time on NXT and Evolve so far. However, in recent weeks, she’s caught even more attention. For what it’s worth, which isn’t much, her match with Kali Armstrong for the WWE Evolve Women’s Championship was given four stars by Dave Meltzer.
That’s a very rare feat, considering Meltzer hasn’t even given a five-star match to the likes of Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, or Eddie Guerrero. So, for Grey to have a four-star match under her belt so early in her career truly speaks volumes. Included is why this is very rare and unexpected, and this match happened on Evolve with two women who have a combined two years of wrestling experience. Absolutely wild.
“She is great,” Dave Meltzer said after that match. “She should get a big, big push. She should be doing something on the main roster now, not when she’s 30. Kendal is a great athlete, and she’s just got it.” While Meltzer is a controversial figure in professional wrestling, his praise certainly means something to a lot of fans. For Grey, on Evolve to be given this accomplishment and praise certainly speaks volumes.
Grey defeated Armstrong earlier this month to win the Evolve Women’s Championship. This should be her first championship win of many. Armstrong held the title for 140 days before dropping the belt to Grey. Now, the future of the Evolve women’s division is in great hands with Armstrong, more than likely going up to WWE NXT.
Grey is currently in line for a great reign with the Evolve Women’s Championship, but after that reign comes to an end, we should see her prominently more on NXT and work her way up the rankings to the WWE NXT Women’s Championship, which she should be a shoo-in to win.
Grey is one of the best athletes on the WWE NXT roster. She has several amateur wrestling accolades under her belt, including being the first-ever female to qualify for boys’ 4A state wrestling. This is recognized as the highest level of wrestling at that level. She’s a three-time NAIA wrestling champion and was a finalist for USA Wrestling’s Women’s Wrestler of the Year award.
Her amateur wrestling pedigree shows up in her in-ring style quite often. She has solid mat skills, great counters, and freshness you won’t see from someone who’s simply “trained for the show.” Her background has translated well inside a WWE ring, where her skills are on full display.
It should be interesting to see if WWE features Grey more on NXT or just calls her up almost immediately to the main roster. The women’s division is packed, and it would be hard to find an immediate spot for her, especially on the main roster. However, WWE should realize what they have with Grey and realize that they indeed struck gold with her.
WWE has a bright young group at the NXT level and in the WWE Performance Center, and it can be seen weekly on WWE Evolve and WWE NXT. However, as we see more and more new women make their way through the rankings on NXT, Grey is one name that people should be on the lookout for.
