Tag: lainey reid

AJ Styles endorses Fatal Influence’s heel work on WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

AJ Styles gave Fatal Influence the ultimate heel endorsement for their impact within their limited duration on WWE SmackDown. 

On the latest episode of the Phenomenally Retro Podcast Styles commended Fatal Influence’s heel work and reactions from fans despite their appearances on two episodes of SmackDown.

“Well, what I like about that group is, they look like the kind of people that would bully my daughter. Yeah. That makes me mad. And so I was like ‘Oh, I was like, they’re doing so good, you know, it’s the opposite how I would feel’ but knowing what they’re doing and how they’re doing their job and they’re doing it well ‘This is it.’ And so I’m like, ‘All right, keep doing what you’re doing. This is good. This is good stuff.’” 

Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid officially transitioned to the main roster on the SmackDown after WrestleMania. For Jayne it was a comeback after her participation in the Women’s Tag Team Titles Tournament with Gigi Dolin in August 2022. 

Fatal Influence interrupted Paige and Brie Bella’s title defense against Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair. Later that night, Jayne confronted Rhea Ripley and faced her in a singles match. The group drew immediate boos from fans with their presence which established themselves as heels. 

Last week, Jayne defeated Flair, with some assistance from Reid and Henley, further positioning their stance on the SmackDown roster. 

Fatal Influence join WWE SmackDown roster

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Fatal Influence made quite the impression on their first night on SmackDown.

Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid all made their presence felt immediately on Friday, attacking Paige, Brie Bella, Alexa Bliss, and Charlotte Flair during a Women’s Tag Team title match. Later in the night, Rhea Ripley came out to talk about her match against Jade Cargill at WrestleMania when the trio interrupted her.

After Jayne, Henley, and Reid introduced themselves, Nick Aldis came out and welcomed the group to SmackDown. He made a match between Jayne and Ripley to take place right then and there. The two wrestled but the match ended in a disqualification when Henley and Reid entered the ring and attacked Ripley, giving Jayne an opening to lay out Ripley with the rolling encore.

Later backstage, Flair and Bliss were being checked on by medical when Ripley walked in, also hurt. She asked Flair if they had a problem. Bliss suggested that they all take on Fatal Influence together, but Flair instead said she would take on Jayne next week, quickly making it clear she wanted nothing to do with Ripley.

Fatal Influence was last seen on week one of WWE NXT Revenge, which saw Lola Vice retain the NXT Women’s Championship over Jayne.

Tag team match added to WWE NXT lineup

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On the road to New Year’s Evil, Kendal Grey is set to face off against Fatal Influence in tag team action.

It’s been announced that Grey & Wren Sinclair vs. Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid will take place on NXT this coming Tuesday. The matchup continues the build to Grey challenging Fatal Influence leader Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Championship at New Year’s Evil 2026.

Grey — the Evolve Women’s Champion and one of NXT’s brightest up-and-coming stars — won the women’s Iron Survivor Challenge match last weekend at NXT Deadline. The victory earned her this upcoming title shot against Jayne on the special New Year’s Evil episode of NXT that’s set for January 6.

Following Deadline, an angle took place on NXT where Fatal Influence beat down Grey and her friend Sinclair.

The updated card for Tuesday’s NXT episode can be seen below:

WWE NXT (Tuesday, December 16) —

  • NXT Championship number one contender’s match: Joe Hendry vs. Myles Borne vs. Leon Slater vs. Dion Lennox (winner challenges Oba Femi at New Year’s Evil)
  • NXT Women’s North American Champion Blake Monroe defends against Thea Hail
  • Kendal Grey & Wren Sinclair vs. Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid)
  • Hank Walker & Tank Ledger vs. Bronco Nima & Lucien Price

WWE announces opening match for NXT

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has revealed the opening match for tonight’s NXT episode.

A six-woman tag bout will open the show with Tatum Paxley, Izzi Dame & Lola Vice taking on Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid). Paxley, the NXT Women’s Champion, defeated Jayne for the belt at Halloween Havoc and is still feuding with Fatal Influence.

In her title reign, Paxley has promised to be a fighting champion. Her first title defense was against Vice last week. It ended in a no contest after Fatal Influence interrupted and laid out both.

Tonight’s NXT will continue the build to Gold Rush 2025 — a two-week TV special that’s airing on November 18 and November 25. The next NXT PLE is Deadline on December 6.

Here is the updated card for tonight:

WWE NXT (Tuesday, November 4) —

  • WWE Speed Women’s Championship tournament begins
  • Je’Von Evans vs. Saquon Shugars
  • Tatum Paxley, Izzi Dame & Lola Vice vs. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid)

Jacy Jayne addresses change to WWE NXT faction

Posted on by Joseph Currier

When there are unexpected changes in her WWE NXT career, Jacy Jayne’s mindset is to just adapt and move forward.

Fatal Influence — Jayne’s NXT faction — recently had a departure when Jazmyn Nyx made the decision not to renew her WWE contract. In Nyx’s place, Lainey Reid has been added to the group and now works alongside original members Jayne and Fallon Henley. Tuesday night’s NXT episode saw Jayne & Reid defeat Tatum Paxley & Izzi Dame in a tag match.

Jayne addressed the change to Fatal Influence during an appearance on Busted Open Radio this week. While stopping just short of calling Reid an upgrade over Nyx, Jayne had high praise for her new partner.

“I think it’s still too soon to really say anything,” Jayne responded when asked if this is an improved version of Fatal Influence. “We had our first match, me and Lainey together, [on Tuesday]. Before that, we had had a singles match and I felt like we had great chemistry right off the bat.

“I definitely think Lainey is a huge — I don’t want to say upgrade because that’s so mean, but, you know, she’s definitely going to fit the part and she’s going to do a good job. She’s a great worker. She’s like a sponge. She listens to everything. She takes everything in really well.”

Earlier in her career, Jayne was a member of Toxic Attraction — a faction that also changed unexpectedly when Mandy Rose was released from WWE. Jayne has learned that you need to be adaptable to thrive in pro wrestling.

“But, you know, I’m kind of used to new partners all the time,” she told Busted Open Radio. “This isn’t anything new to me. It’s all part of adapting. Things change all the time. This is show business — last-minute changes, things you never thought would happen, you just have to go with the flow and figure it out as you go.”

Jayne is set to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Paxley at Halloween Havoc this Saturday. Despite Paxley losing the tag match on NXT, she was able to stand tall heading into the PLE after fighting off an attack by Jayne and the rest of Fatal Influence.