There have been signs that WWE is planning a big future for an up-and-coming NXT star.
At the WWE Live show in Champaign, IL on February 25th, Charlotte Flair defended her SmackDown Women’s Championship in a Fatal Fourway match against Sonya Deville, Liv Morgan, and NXT’s Zoey Stark.
Having Stark in a title match, even at an untelevised Live event, is a good sign for the star. This is the second recent indication that the company is behind her as at the Royal Rumble, she entered the Women’s Rumble at Number 13 and lasted almost half an hour before being eliminated by Deville.
Zoey Stark is a rising star in NXT
In 2021, Stark was on the rise in NXT, having high-profile matches against the likes of Toni Storm and Io Shirai. She later teamed up with Shirai to capture the developmental brand’s Women’s Tag Team Championships.
However, her momentum was derailed that November when she suffered a torn MCL and had to take a lengthy period of absence to recover.
She returned to the company on July 19th, 2022, and immediately made a mark by winning a 20-Woman Battle Royal to become the Number 1 contender to Mandy Rose’s Women’s Championship. Unfortunately, she was unable to overcome the champion at the Heatwave special.
Stark then began teaming with Nikkita Lyons. This lasted for several months, but after the pair were unable to win the Women’s Tag Team Championships, Stark turned on her friend, later saying she was over helping her fellow stars, accusing them of “leeching” off her.
In recent weeks, Stark has won against Sol Ruca and Indi Hartwell. She has also taken issue with the legendary Meiko Satomora, and the pair are set to clash on February 28th.