It happened with relatively no fanfare, but just like that, WWE retires a championship belt. And, after suffering a busted nose, Natalya will miss some time.
WWE Retires Championship Belt
You might have missed it, but WWE retires a championship belt on the November 7th edition of RAW.
Honestly, it was very nearly a major news event that we even saw this title on television.
The 24/7 Championship had been destined for a milk carton in the months since Triple H took over.
Now, it has both returned…and been retired.
And, as subtle as it was, you might have actually missed it.
Nikki Cross, aligning herself with Damage Control, defeated Dana Brooke for the belt.
Notable enough, right?
Sure…but it was nothing as compared to what happened later.
After the victory, we saw Nikki walking in the back with her new buddies.
And as the four walked the hallway, Cross deposited her newly one gold into the trash can.
Well, actually, she attempted to. She did miss…but the message was clear.
She missed it, but Nikki Cross just threw the 24/7 Title in the trash.
IT’S OVER! #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/NlEjXA7Kps— (@WrestlingCovers) November 8, 2022
According to the Wrestling Observer, that message is that the 24/7 Championship era is over.
Even though Cross missed the can, it is over with.
So, after some fun, WWE retires the 24/7 Championship.
Honestly, not surprised, but a little bummed.
Bummed, in that (if he wasn’t injured) I think it would have been cool to have R-Truth get one last title win, and then retire it.
All good things must come to an end, and that includes the 24/7 Championship.
But…can we finally get a mid-card title for the women?
Nikki Cross threw the 24/7 title in the trash…
It’S ABOUT THAT TIME. pic.twitter.com/PvCJL3aCJw
— DeonteDDJ (-_•) ジ #DDJAS (@deonteddj) November 8, 2022
Natalya Will Miss Time
You might have seen her get busted open on the taped edition of Friday’s SmackDown. As a result of that spot, Natalya will miss time.
Here’s the news, from Nattie herself:
We moved my dislocated nose back to the center of my face where it belongs!! I love the shape of my nose and it will stay the same, thank goodness! Can finally breathe again Pain is beauty! LFG! pic.twitter.com/V6zZTivjHQ
— Nattie (@NatbyNature) November 7, 2022
Natalya’s nose was dislocated during a match with Shayna Baszler.
The match, which aired on the SmackDown the Friday before Crown Jewel, was actually recorded a week earlier.
Natalya shared her post-surgery photo, as well as this one, following the match itself.
According to some reports, the former champ could miss several months of action.
While it’s never great to miss time, the injury and downtime comes at an interesting point in the WWE calendar.
Survivor Series: WarGames is a couple weeks out. After that, we do not have another premium live event until the Royal Rumble at the end of January, 2023.
Now, if reports are saying 3 to 4 months…a surprise return as a Rumble entrant seems to be within the realm of possibility.
What is also worth noting is that, while Natalya was the women’s division for so long, she’s on the injured list at a time when the roster is getting reloaded.
Reports indicate WWE is trying to bring back more former talent. The latest to come back, on this week’s RAW, was Mia Yim.
