Tiffany Stratton to face returning heel at WrestleMania 41, WWE veteran predicts (Exclusive)

Tiffany Stratton has become one of WWE's most popular stars in recent months despite being viewed internally as a heel. Vince Russo, WWE's head writer in the late 1990s, thinks the 25-year-old should cement her status as a babyface by feuding with a high-profile villain.

Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair are expected to return to WWE soon following lengthy absences. Returning stars are usually treated as babyfaces, but Russo believes one of the three women should perform as a heel to further increase Stratton's popularity.

On Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing With Russo, Russo said Stratton should face Nia Jax at the Royal Rumble on February 1. Beyond that, he suggested Bliss, Lynch, or Flair as a heel opponent for Stratton at WrestleMania 41 on April 19-20:

"Well, that all depends on how you wanna bring back Becky and Charlotte, or Alexa Bliss, for that matter," Russo stated. "You've got a lot of women that you're bringing back, so if whoever you wanna bring back is a heel, that's what I would do." [12:25 – 12:43]

Watch the video above to hear Russo explain why WWE missed a big opportunity with Stratton several months ago.

Why Tiffany Stratton's possible future opponents are absent

Alexa Bliss has not wrestled since unsuccessfully challenging Bianca Belair for the RAW Women's Championship at the Royal Rumble in January 2023. She gave birth to her first child with her husband, musician Ryan Cabrera, in November 2023.

Becky Lynch's most recent match ended in defeat against then-Women's World Champion Liv Morgan on RAW in May 2024. Many people expected The Man to return on the first RAW episode on Netflix after she reportedly signed a new contract. However, she did not appear on the show.

Meanwhile, Charlotte Flair has been absent since suffering a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus against Asuka in December 2023. According to WrestleVotes on Backstage Pass, Flair vs. Tiffany Stratton has been discussed as a possible WrestleMania 41 match.

Who do you think Tiffany Stratton should face at WrestleMania 41? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing With Russo and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.