Blake Monroe has addressed the unusual pace of her first months on WWE SmackDown, revealing that injuries significantly affected plans after promotional vignettes for her arrival began airing in April. While Monroe was positioned as a notable incoming name, her first match on the blue brand did not take place until October, leaving a lengthy gap between the initial presentation of her character and the opportunity to wrestle in front of the main roster audience.
Speaking about that stretch, Monroe did not hide that the lack of in-ring action was difficult. Her previous experience in NXT had given her a very different weekly rhythm, one in which she felt there was consistently a role, a segment, or a match waiting for her. Moving to SmackDown brought a changed environment, and the physical issues that emerged around her launch made the adjustment more challenging.
“NXT brings in big names and also has a lot of homegrown talent,” Monroe said. “So in that capacity, every week I was used, every week there was something for me and, you know, I contributed a lot, but they also had so much for me.”
That perspective helps explain why Monroe found the main roster delay so frustrating. The issue was not a lack of confidence in what she could offer WWE. Instead, it was the uncertainty that comes when a performer is ready to establish momentum but cannot regularly compete. For a wrestler attempting to make a decisive first impression on SmackDown, the interruption between character-building vignettes and an actual debut match can be a difficult period to navigate.
For more background on this topic, read Christian Watson Compares Ambulance Return in Packers Game to WWE.
Injuries Changed the Timing of Monroe’s SmackDown Arrival
Monroe said SmackDown had specifically pursued her, but she believes injuries “changed a lot of things.” Her comments point to the importance of timing in WWE’s television structure, particularly when introducing a talent presented as a major attraction rather than simply adding another competitor to the roster.
“SmackDown wanted me and they made a play for me, and I do think injuries changed a lot of things,” Monroe said. “And it’s just finding the right moment to debut someone like Blake Monroe.”
She was clear that she does not view her character or her place on the roster as something that should be rushed. Monroe described herself as a performer who needs the right situation, the right opponent, and the right story to demonstrate the complete package she believes she brings to WWE.
“I’m not somebody that you just throw out there. I’m not somebody that will ever get lost in the shuffle. I’m not just the next girl. I’m ‘the girl,’” Monroe said.
That self-assessment has been central to Monroe’s presentation. Her character has been introduced with considerable emphasis, and Monroe wants the in-ring component to match the confidence and personality behind that presentation. In her view, the wait was not simply about finding any available match. It was about finding a match that could make the intended statement: that she is not solely defined by her look or her presence, but can deliver once the bell rings.
Monroe’s comments also underline a reality of WWE’s main roster landscape. Television time is limited, stories are continually shifting, and injuries can reshape the direction of multiple performers at once. A plan that appears straightforward at the outset can quickly change when someone is unavailable or when a prospective opponent is unable to participate. Monroe did not provide further specifics about the injuries involved, but she made it clear that their impact was substantial enough to alter the trajectory of her SmackDown introduction.
Why Giulia Was the Right Opponent
When Monroe did finally compete on SmackDown in October, she viewed Giulia as the ideal opponent for the moment. Monroe believes the matchup gave her the platform to establish the part of her game that she most wanted to show after months away from the ring.
For Monroe, the goal was to move the conversation beyond appearance and character work. She wanted to demonstrate that the confidence behind her persona is supported by her wrestling ability. Facing Giulia offered the kind of setting Monroe had been seeking: a meaningful chance to show she can perform at a high level rather than merely arrive with fanfare.
“I think it was all about waiting for the right time, the right story, the right opponent to show that I’m not just a pretty face and a big character, I can actually go in the ring,” Monroe said.
Her emphasis on that point is significant. Months of vignettes can create anticipation, but they can also create pressure. Once a wrestler finally reaches the ring, the performance becomes the clearest response to every question raised during the buildup. Monroe regarded the match with Giulia as a crucial opportunity to make that response for herself.
She did not frame the delay as entirely beneficial. Monroe openly acknowledged the frustration of being unable to compete while waiting for her moment. Yet she also said the five-month period taught her valuable lessons about how the main roster works and what she needs to do as she moves forward.
Monroe Says She Learned During Time Away From the Ring
Although she was not regularly featured in matches during that span, Monroe believes the time was not wasted. She said she learned from the experience and now has a stronger sense of how she intends to approach the next stage of her WWE run.
“And I think to me the only way is up, and in those five months, although I wasn’t on TV a lot, I learned a lot, and I’m very smart, and now I know what to do next,” Monroe said.
That outlook balances her admitted impatience with a forward-looking message. Monroe wanted more opportunities, but she now sees a path to build from the debut she eventually received. Rather than treating the slow start as a defining setback, she is presenting it as a period that sharpened her understanding of the main roster environment.
The distinction matters because Monroe’s own standard is clearly high. She does not speak about merely finding a place on SmackDown or appearing more frequently. Her objective is the top of the division. Monroe stated that she knows how she is going to become World Champion “very soon,” signaling that she sees the Giulia match and her October in-ring arrival as a starting point rather than a conclusion.
There is no shortage of confidence in that declaration, but Monroe’s comments were not only about ambition. They were also about earning the chance to fulfill it. She wanted a matchup that allowed her to show the wrestling ability she believes can support her larger character, and she believes Giulia provided that opportunity.
A Delayed Debut Does Not Change Monroe’s Expectations
Monroe’s main roster story has been defined so far by anticipation, interruption, and eventual action. The vignettes began in April. Injuries affected the plans that followed. Her in-ring SmackDown debut came in October. Through it all, Monroe says she remained eager to prove herself and frustrated by the stretches in which she could not.
At the same time, she has not lowered her expectations. Monroe believes the timing of her debut needed to be right because she is intended to stand out. Her message is that she was not waiting simply for a match to fill a slot on television; she was waiting for the proper showcase to establish what makes Blake Monroe different.
“The only way is up,” she said, and that phrase captures the direction she expects her WWE career to take from here.
Whether the delayed start ultimately becomes an advantage will be determined by what follows. Monroe has already made clear that she considers timing a crucial part of wrestling, even if the waiting process tested her patience. Now that she has had the chance to compete on SmackDown, her focus is firmly on turning that opportunity into sustained momentum and, in her words, a World Championship run in the near future.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.