Ranking All 29 WWE Returns And Debuts In 2022
10. Raquel Rodriguez
Make no mistake about it: Raquel Rodriguez will be a women’s
champion by the end of 2023.
It’s pretty obvious from the moment WWE called her up in April that they were high on her, giving her a spotlight SmackDown Women’s Championship match against Ronda Rousey one month after her debut match (she lost a competitive bout). Since then, she’s lost only one other televised singles match (to Bayley) and held the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with Aliyah.
They’ve protected Rodriguez, having Rousey and Shayna Baszler break her elbow to explain any hardships she faces as she continues on her quest. Still, Raquel closed out 2022 winning a gauntlet match to become #1 contender for Rowdy Ronda’s title. So again, it’s a question of “when,” not “if” Rodriguez becomes a champion.
That makes for a very strong debut year.