IWC Scum — Shower Thoughts From SkitZ (How Are We Feeling About These Lady Feuds Heading into Sin City?)

Welcome back to the column that puts the incessant whining and complaining in IWC. I’m SkitZ — a curious man suffering from multiplicity like Michael Keaton in the mid 90s.

With WrestleMania 41 dominating all the chatter around the water cooler, my think tank feels like it’s on the verge of overflowing. So once my work shift is over, I drive home and hop right in the shower. After knocking my girlfriend’s razor off the shelf and nearly slicing my foot open, the voices in my head have me wondering who the hell Randy Orton is gonna face now… Among other things involving the opposite sex…

SkitZ: How is Naomi currently more interesting than Jade? In what world does that make sense?

Myself: In WWE’s universe, where they refuse to follow the same formula Tony Khan used for booking Cargill. A strategy that worked in AEW mind you, and now Jade’s getting lukewarm reactions on SmackDown because the company’s trying to turn a natural born killer heel into a sympathetic babyface. 

Me: I think it just goes to show how much Naomi has grown as a performer. Vince never really gave her the chance to play a villain in WWE, but you can tell she was ready to deliver when given the opportunity. They’ve lowkey put together the best women’s feud of this entire WrestleMania season! 

Myself: You’re delusional. Jade’s return at Elimination Chamber and subsequent beatdown of Naomi was off the chain. It had everyone buzzing, I’ll give you that. Most of what came after sucked balls though. 

SkitZ: I tend to agree with him, Mini-Me. For starters, Jade’s follow-up assault on her attacker was far too lax, considering the nature of what Naomi did and how long Jade was on the shelf for. 

Myself: She was in a neck brace for crying out loud! You want her to end up like Kevin Owens?!

Me: Too soon, man. Way too soon.

SkitZ: Yeah you sound like that guy KO bitched out in the crowd. 

Myself: I was trying to defend him, assholes.

SkitZ: SECONDLY, WWE booked Cargill to suffer her first pinfall loss on a random episode of SmackDown just a few weeks after returning. Save that shit for Mania where Jade being pinned in the middle of the ring means more. 

Me: But Liv deserved that win given the awesome run she’s been on!

SkitZ: Then thirdly, Jade ran down the next week to confront Naomi, only to give up the chase almost instantly and turn away to assist her girl B-Fab to the back. Even if Jade’s the babyface and therefore has to show some compassion here and there, she’s still gone too soft on her former friend. I enjoyed Naomi’s backstage vignette a couple weeks ago, as well as the segment last Friday where Nick Aldis made their match official, but as for the rest of it? Meh.

Myself: The crowd hasn’t fully taken to Cargill because she screams monster in high heels. I get wanting to pair Jade with Bianca during her first year to learn from whilst improving, but Cargill should be a narcissistic freak of nature; not the buff ‘roided chick on the cheerleading squad. 

SkitZ: Preach it, brother. Triple H would’ve been better served just making Liv & Raquel the ones who attacked Cargill, and had Jade return as a heel to annihilate Bianca & Naomi for not having her back when the incident happened. All this timid booking has already killed off a bunch of her mystique. 

Me: Sorry, but I respectfully disagree! Naomi’s just been nailing her new role character wise, and I think she’ll be rewarded for it at WM41 by going over Cargill. 

Myself: You’re predicting that Jade loses to Naomi next weekend? Thank God you don’t make any of the final decisions for us three.   

Me: My prediction will come true, you’ll see! Along with this other one – that Chelsea Green retains her United States Championship in Vegas. 

SkitZ: Would that really be a surprise though with the run she’s been on since winning it? More importantly, I don’t recall Nick Aldis ever announcing such a match…

Me: Oh c’mon now, we all know Zelina Vega is getting a title shot on the show!

Myself: And therein lies the problem – Chelsea’s challengers since becoming the first-ever Women’s US Champ have been hot garbage. It’s cool that they’re giving Aleister Black’s girl a little shine, but it’s probably only because he’s slated to return right after Mania. Zelina spent so long valeting that she’s miles behind Chelsea at the moment. I’m not even sure this match makes it to WM41. 

SkitZ: Absolutely not. If there’s any snoozer matches on this year’s card, my narcoleptic ass will never make it through the show. Therefore, I’m hoping Vega versus Green lands on the SmackDown right before WrestleMania, because what happens in Vegas-

Myself: Doesn’t apply at all in this scenario, so shut up and let me speak before the thought escapes me. What if Chelsea does indeed defeat Zelina that Friday night, then shows up at WM41 to brag and issue an open challenge, and it’s answered by a returning Becky Lynch? 

Me: Ooooh or how about Paige!? 

Myself: Eh fuck it, why not? She’s a decent Plan B if The Man can’t commit because of her mom duties. 

SkitZ: You two really know how to set yourselves up for disappointment. 

Myself: Pffft looks who’s talking… like you didn’t tune into RAW expecting Bayley to dethrone Lyra.

Me: But why when they’re scheduled to be partners in the Tag Team Gauntlet match this Friday on SmackDown!?

SkitZ: See, that’s precisely why I would’ve had Bayley go over. You completely flip the dynamic by having them tag together a mere 4 days after Valkyria dropped the belt to her teammate. It also adds an interesting twist heading into Mania, since we can all tell who’s advancing to face Liv & Raquel based on the other bum squads in this Gauntlet match. 

Me: Not true! I feel like Natalya and Maxxxine have just as good a chance at winning it.

Myself: The only person Nattie’s beaten over the past few years is Charlotte Flair in the plastic surgery department. Neidhart has a serious problem. She’s become a crackhead for the very needle used to get rid of them. I can’t trust a person who doesn’t have any lines on their face.  

SkitZ: What the hell is wrong with you? 

Myself: I’ll tell you what’s wrong – Liv Morgan not getting her due at WrestleMania. She’s single handedly been the best women’s wrestler in WWE over the last 12 months. In terms of character arc, in-ring execution and all-around consistency, I’d place Morgan ahead of Bianca, Rhea and every other chick. And while it’s nice to see the Women’s Tag Team Titles receiving a little love this year, it also does Liv a disservice. 

Me: At least she’s being featured in a match at Mania! For a while there, it seemed like Morgan might not even make the card. I’m happy for Liv; Raquel too for that matter.   

Myself: Sounds like an uninspired consolation prize to me. You, myself and our counterpart know full well that Liv should be competing for singles gold against the likes of Iyo, Bianca, Tiffany, etc. at WM41. Morgan’s the only thing that’s kept the Judgment Day remotely interesting since Damian and Rhea left the group. 

SkitZ: Agreed. I’ll also admit to being wrong about Raquel. When she appeared at Bad Blood and botched the ending of the Liv/Rhea match, I let out one of those sighs when you realize your woman is still on her period and not yet in the clear as she had hypothesized earlier. Rodriquez never really did it for me in NXT, and she missed so much time on the main roster that I honestly expected her to get released sooner rather than later. Adding some lady muscle to the Judgment Day has been a stroke of genius. Raquel has evolved into a role where she’s able to perform much more comfortably and confidently. Her and Liv play well off one another, and they’ve given the Women’s Tag Titles some much needed credibility, but- 

Myself: There’s a very good chance that neither the Intercontinental or United States Championship are defended at WrestleMania despite them just being created a couple months ago! Are we absolutely sure Vince isn’t making these decisions from the sidelines? Because this shit is straight out of his playbook. 

SkitZ: Or maybe there’s just too many moving parts. It’s a crowded Mania card. Hunter is simply trying to kill two birds with one stone by putting the chick who ditched the crow feathers, Bayley, Liv and Raquel in the same match so that they’re all booked for Las Vegas. The build has been a hot mess, but that seems to be the theme for these women’s feuds in 2025. 

Me: Tiffany versus Charlotte certainly fits that narrative, but it’s been the best trash TV we could’ve asked for! 

SkitZ: Reality television levels of cringe, and yet we’re lovin’ it. So much for CM Punk’s favor being the big headline coming out of SmackDown last week… that improvised promo exchange between Stratton and a muted Charlotte Flair had everyone talking.

Myself: You’re really gonna gloss over just how far off the mark you were about that favor in your last column? 

SkitZ: Pshhh that’s old news. Try to live in the present, pal. Tiffany took the criticism from her virtual sitdown segment with Charlotte on the chin, and quickly realized she needed to step up her game. I like the fact that Stratton decided to start firing shots in her promos, and making a conscious effort to not look intimidated or out of place when standing across from Flair.

Me: It feels like life imitating art in a way, with Tiffany reminding me of a younger version of Charlotte. The latter has reached a point where she should be helping younger talent climb the ranks in WWE, which is why I believe she’ll do Stratton the honor when the time comes. 

Myself: Uhhhh or will WWE book Flair to bury another wrestler on the rise who’s been dishing a lot of dirt lately? I know which outcome I’d bet my money on. Whether Tiffany is force fed some humble pie or not, at least this feud is finally cooking. 

Me: If WWE really wants to pour some gas on the fire, they should make Ludwig the special guest referee! It builds on Charlotte name dropping him last Friday and gets Kaiser on the card as well! 

Myself: No more creative pitches for you. I mean it. You’re banned from suggesting anything else. 

SkitZ: I’ll say this much… People were bitching nonstop about the Women’s Title match early on, and for better or worse, the IWC has been blabbing about it even more as of late. So as far as creating buzz for Charlotte and Tiffany’s Mania showdown? Mission accomplished.

Me: The same can be said for the other Women’s World Title match that’s been gaining steam over on RAW!

Myself: Hardly. WWE dragged us through a shit ton of nonsense just to arrive at a Triple Threat match that was obvious 2 months ago. 

SkitZ: Exactly. Like there was ever any doubt regarding Ripley getting added to Belair/Sky. The Road to WrestleMania for these 3 has meandered all over the damn place. Despite each woman being popular in their own right, Iyo is the de facto fan favorite, Bianca’s receiving jeers for being a rational human being, and people aren’t quite sure how to feel towards Rhea at the moment.

Myself: Her character development’s been pretty fucking erratic since dropping the belt in early February, but it kinda has to be in this feud. There’s too much good girlness going on otherwise. For the first time in the last 4 or 5 WrestleManias, it doesn’t feel like Rhea’s year to go over. 

Me: Hey, unstable Mami has still provided some quality TV along the way! And I know plenty of fans were initially unhappy over Belair versus Ripley not being a 1-on-1 match, but you can’t blame Hunter for adding Iyo to the equation. 

SkitZ: Her crowd reactions every week are proof enough that this triple threat H pulled together was ultimately the right call. As thrilled as I am for CM Punk to finally be main eventing a WrestleMania, his rivalry with Seth and Roman has run its course. I couldn’t care less about an eventual solo match against Reigns. Punk’s longggggggg awaited favor left so much to be desired in terms of fantasy scenarios that I’m still foolishly waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Myself: You’re such a hopeless bromantic, SkitZ. 

SkitZ: Guilty as charged. Wait, what were we discussing again? 

Me: Bianca, Iyo and Rhea. 

Myself: That sounds like some type of viral infection that starts in your lungs and ends with shitting your brains out. 

Me: And I’m choosing to ignore you. These three ladies could have, and probably should have, headlined Night 1. I’m sure they’ll deliver in a co-main event spot nonetheless! 

SkitZ: Belair feels overdue for a World Title reign, doesn’t she? I’d actually be shocked if Rhea pulls it off at WM41. Even though she’s dominated the company over the last 2 years, all signs point to either Iyo retaining or Bianca capturing singles gold once again. 

Me: That’s right! Crown the EST already!!

Myself: Come again? Are you trying to say you’re ready for Easter?

Me: No, I meant-

Myself: You hit the All Caps button by accident, didn’t you? 

Me: If you’d just let me finish, I was referring to-

Myself: I know I know. Who the hell books WrestleMania on Easter weekend anyway? 

Me: GAHHHHHH GOD DAMMIT.

Myself: Yikes. I hope you don’t plan on using the Lord’s name in vain on his special day. 

SkitZ: Stop egging him on, will you!?

Myself: What? I can’t help that he’s so easily flustered. It amuses me. 

SkitZ: You’re zapping the willpower required to wash and rinse myself. No wonder why my water bill is so expensive these days. 

Twitter: writersblock_skitz (@SirSkitzAlot)

Email: skitztmrlop@gmail.com