Update on 28-year-old WWE Superstar's future in SmackDown
One of WWE's promising young talents has not been utilized on SmackDown lately. The latest news states that it was not because the company had lost faith in her, but due to a busy season.
Blair Davenport joined the blue brand in April 2024 but is still waiting for a prominent storyline to work on. She stood out in NXT before making the jump to the main roster and has previously worked in World Wonder Ring Stardom, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), among others.
Sportskeeda Wrestling's Dr. Chris Featherstone reported on X (fka Twitter) that Blair Davenport will benefit from the new three-hour format of Friday Night SmackDown. However, the creative team is figuring out where to insert her in and how the story would play out.
"Update on Davenport: "The right story will arise where she will shine. Landscape on SmackDown is very valuable." She has been in discussions as someone to benefit from the 3-hour format (which I already reported, but can confirm again). So, they are working on the right story to insert her in so she can be properly showcased," Featherstone wrote.
So far, she has worked a few matches with former TNA Knockouts World Champion Naomi, who has become a topic of conversation recently owing to a potential role she might have in a major upcoming storyline.
Dutch Mantell explained why WWE did not give Blair Davenport a win over Naomi on SmackDown
Despite working a few matches, Blair Davenport has mostly come out on the losing end of the spectrum against Naomi, who is obviously the more experienced of the two.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell noted how "green and hesitant" Davenport looked in her match with The Glow. He pointed to the latter as the one who carried the bout. Mantell added that WWE's higher-ups must have felt she did not need to win against a big name like Naomi so soon.
"She looked very, very green and hesitant. And I think Naomi carried her most of the match, and I think most of the people who've watched wrestling for a while think there is something just a little bit off about the Davenport girl. And she lost, which actually surprised me. I thought this would be a time to maybe put her over, but I can see why they did it," Mantell said.
On the other hand, Naomi is a fan favorite with a solid resume as an in-ring performer. She only returned to WWE SmackDown last year after spending time away for a prolonged period.
