Blake Monroe Says Injuries Delayed Her SmackDown Start

Blake Monroe expressed frustration that injuries delayed her strong start on WWE SmackDown. Her vignettes started airing in April but her in-ring debut on the show did not happen until October. Monroe told Busted Open that she struggled to adjust to the reduced in-ring action after moving from NXT to the main roster.

She noted that in NXT she was used every week with plenty of opportunities while SmackDown had to find the right moment for her debut. Monroe said injuries changed a lot of the plans and that SmackDown wanted her but needed the proper story and opponent.

She stated she is not someone who gets lost in the shuffle or is just the next girl but instead is "the girl" who must be introduced at the right time. Monroe explained that facing Giulia proved to be the ideal matchup because it let her demonstrate her in-ring skills and show she is more than a pretty face and big character.

The former AEW star added that although she was not on TV much during those five months she learned a great deal and now knows how she will become a world champion very soon. Monroe acknowledged that timing is crucial in professional wrestling yet admitted she grew frustrated while waiting to display her abilities.