User blog:CEDJunior/What Could Have Been: Audrey Marie

Not a day goes by that I don't think about how much I miss seeing Audrey Marie on NXT. I started watching FCW matches early in 2012, but I must confess that the main reason why I started was to watch Raquel Diaz play out her terrific heel character. But as I watched, I would become a fan of Audrey Marie, among a select number of developmental Divas.

Audrey actually held the FCW Divas Championship before losing to Raquel in January of 2012. Since losing the title, Audrey was in a spectactular feud with the then-villainous Paige, which included a No Disqualification Match that Audrey won. Of course, Audrey was part of FCW's modified transformation into the new-look NXT during that summer, and she took part in a pair of matches in the first few editions of the program--one of them against former foe Raquel Diaz.

In what I consider an interesting experiment, WWE decided to test Audrey out as a heel at a pair of house shows. In both occasions, Heel Audrey competed in Triple Threat Matches, and while she lost both times, from what I've seen, she did a terrific job in her villainous role. And that last part is something I wouldn't have said two years ago. In FCW, Audrey was the top babyface Diva; with her energetic and peppy role drawing comparisons to the babyface role that Mickie James played for several years in both WWE and TNA. So to see her as a heel was a huge surprise, not to mention a pleasant one.

After a few more months of competing as a babyface, Audrey turned into a villainess on NXT TV in November of 2012. She debuted her heel persona against Emma, who was also debuting, and that match saw Audrey pick up her first one-on-one victory on the modified NXT. The photo is a digital from that edition of NXT, and as you can see, the evil Audrey fully embraces her heel side with a very sinister glare to the crowd. Unfortunately, it would be a few months before fans would see Heel Audrey again, because she was out due to an injury.

Audrey returned in spectacular fashion in February of last year, when she revealed herself as Sasha Banks' "secret admirer" and attacked her in a backstage segment. Audrey was portrayed as being jealous of Sasha's recent success and rise in stock while she was sidelined, which started a feud between the two. Audrey defeated Sasha that same day, but she would be on the losing end several times after her victory. Even so, I was expecting Audrey to be called up to the main roster in due time. Then I get the bad news that WWE released Audrey in May. In her final WWE match, Audrey was defeated by Emma.

I seriously think that not only should Audrey still be in WWE, she should be on the main roster. She is not only talented, she plays her characters very well. When she was good, Audrey was perky, excitable, and very upbeat. When Audrey was evil, she was arrogant, calculating, and (at times) vicious. I would have loved to have seen Audrey on either Raw or SmackDown; preferably as the wicked villainess she played in her last several months on NXT. I can't help but think that WWE truly dropped the ball when they released Audrey, and I'm pretty sure I'm not in the minority regarding that sentiment.