Tag: WWE Women’s Championship

Jade Cargill wanted to wrestle more during WWE Women’s title reign

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Jade Cargill reflected on her WWE WrestleMania 42 showdown with Rhea Ripley, addressing shortcomings in her title reign and outlining ambitions for the future.

In an exclusive with The Takedown on SI, Cargill acknowledged the experience Ripley had with seasoned opponents like Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at earlier WrestleMania events. She emphasized the importance of confidence heading into WrestleMania 42 catapulted her ability to deliver in the bout.

“She can’t go out there and have that stellar match if I don’t put on [a show] as well. Rhea has always had amazing dance partners. She’s worked with Charlotte, she’s worked with Becky… It takes two to tango. I wasn’t nervous last year. I had a match with the great Naomi. I thought we had a superb match in itself. It wasn’t a title match, so obviously it’s not gonna have as much buzz around it, but I don’t think that this was any different. I just had a title. And a title doesn’t make me, I make the title.”

Cargill added that while being the WWE Women’s Champion felt great it did lack in terms of what she had hoped for and wishes she had wrestled more. She identified it as a practice run for her next reign. 

“I wanted to wrestle more. I wanted more competitive matches. I wanted more grit. I really wanted to sink my teeth into whatever was being thrown at me. That’s all I wanted with my reign, but we didn’t get that as much as I wanted, and that’s fine. But now that I had a practice run, I’m gonna call it a practice run, I’m gonna say next time is gonna be totally different.” 

Cargill described that she has often been surrounded by superstars and revisited her AEW debut match where she teamed up with Shaquille O’Neal against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet. 

“I’ve been around superstars my entire life. That first match [in AEW], I was working with Cody Rhodes, and I was working with Shaquille O’Neal. Something that always sticks with me is that I asked [Shaq] if he was nervous. He was like, ‘Nervous? I can go out there, I could trip, fall, whatever. I’m still gonna be me. I’m still a star.'”

Cargill won the WWE Women’s Championship at SNME in November 2025 from Tiffany Stratton. Reports indicated that the title change was influenced by Stratton’s knee injury that required her to take some time off. Her first title defense took place on the February 13 edition of SmackDown.

Ripley set her sights on the championship after Elimination Chamber victory. This sparked a social media exchange that escalated into their rivalry for WrestleMania 42 where Ripley ended Cargill’s nearly 170 day title reign. 

Jade Cargill on WWE WrestleMania 42 match: ‘I think we did a stellar job’

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Jade Cargill faced Rhea Ripley for the first time at WrestleMania 42, where Ripley captured the WWE Women’s Championship, ending her 169-day reign.

Speaking with 8 News Now — Las Vegas, Cargill reviewed her WrestleMania 42 performance. She commended the match and her entrance at the WWE Premium Live Event. Cargill cited she dwelled in the hate that fans have for her and is adamant on getting a rematch for the WWE Women’s Championship. 

“You know what? It’s okay, because I’m going to get my revenge and get that rematch.”

“I’ve never been featured on Night Two, I’ve always been on Night One so this is my first time on Night Two, I think we did a stellar job. I think my entrance was amazing. I think the energy at Allegiant Stadium was electric,” said Cargill. 

“It was cool, I liked it. The crowd was coming for me, they hated me, I love that for me. Keep hating me. But it was cool, I really liked it, the atmosphere was amazing. Okay, I didn’t deliver, but I’m going to get that rematch.”

WrestleMania 42 marked Cargill’s third appearance at the PLE, while Ripley competed for the seventh time in a row. Michin and B-Fab interfered in the title match on Cargill’s behalf but their plans unraveled when IYO SKY ran out to aid Ripley. 

During the bout, Cargill used a move synonymous with Kenny Omega, the One Winged Angel. However, in WWE the commentators referred to it as the Sandstorm. Later, Omega acknowledged and responded to the move being used after it sparked major buzz on social media.

Rhea Ripley wins Elimination Chamber, earns WWE WrestleMania 42 title shot

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Rhea Ripley is heading to WrestleMania.

Ripley emerged victorious at Elimination Chamber on Saturday, pinning Tiffany Stratton to win the match. The two had a competitive back-and-forth match after everyone else had been eliminated, but Ripley won after hitting the riptide.

Following her victory, Ripley pointed at the WrestleMania sign as pyro went off. She will now challenge Jade Cargill, who was in the crowd watching the match. Cargill responded to Ripley’s win by clapping and holding her WWE Women’s Championship that Ripley will now challenge for.

Kiana James scored an upset once again during the match by pinning Alexa Bliss after she was misted by Asuka. But her luck ran out when she was laid out by Raquel Rodriguez, who then followed that up by hitting the Tejana Bomb on Asuka who landed on James then stacked them up to eliminate them both. Stratton then eventually pinned Rodriguez with the PME, leaving her and Ripley as the final two participants.

The men’s Elimination Chamber later on Saturday between Cody Rhodes, LA Knight, Logan Paul, Randy Orton, Trick Williams, and Je’Von Evans will determine Drew McIntyre’s opponent for WrestleMania 42.

Jade Cargill wins Women’s Championship at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Tiffy Time ran out on Saturday.

Jade Cargill is the new Women’s Champion, defeating Tiffany Stratton at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Cargill dominated the match, targeting Stratton’s injured leg. After hitting two powerbombs, the new champion finished off Straton with Jaded, pinning her for the title.

Stratton had held the title for most of the year, cashing in her Money in the Bank contract on Nia Jax back on the January 3 edition of SmackDown. She had just surpassed the 300 day mark as champion.

On last week’s SmackDown, Cargill made the save for Stratton after she was jumped by Giulia and Kiana James. Once they were dispatched, however, Cargill turned against Stratton by laying her out with a clothesline. She continued her attack, stomping on Stratton’s knee on the stairs in the process. In an interview that took place after, Cargill said she was tired of being patient and was ready to take what was hers, the WWE Women’s Championship.

Prior to Saturday’s match, Nick Aldis asked Stratton if she was sure she wanted to continue with the match. Despite the injury, Stratton insisted on wrestling.

Jade Cargill turns against Tiffany Stratton, title match set for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A match for the WWE Women’s title is now set for Saturday Night’s Main Event following a big angle on SmackDown.

After defeating Kiana James on Friday, Tiffany Stratton was attacked by Giulia until Jade Cargill came out for the save. But once the coast was clear, Cargill blindsided Stratton with a clothesline. She then continued the attack, throwing her to the floor and sending Stratton into the steel steps and across the announcer’s table. Officials attempted to stop the assault but Cargill persisted, finishing things off by ramming her foot onto Stratton’s ankle on the steel steps. The segment ended with Cargill holding the WWE Women’s title, the title match for Saturday Night’s Main Event becoming official later in the show.

Following the assault, Cathy Kelly asked Cargill why she did it and if she was afraid of the consequences. She responded by saying she made a mistake in thinking that the world rewards patience, it rewards power. And she was no longer going to ask for it, she will take the WWE Women’s Championship from Stratton.

The two had been friendly towards one another leading up to Friday, even after Stratton defeated Queen of the Ring winner Cargill at SummerSlam this past August. In September, the two along with Nia Jax squared off for the WWE Women’s Championship in a triple threat match, with Stratton again emerging as the winner.

Saturday Night’s Main Event (November 1)

  • WWE World Heavyweight title: CM Punk vs. Jey Uso
  • WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes defends against Drew McIntyre
  • WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton defends against Jade Cargill

New WWE Women’s Championship number one contender crowned

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Tiffany Stratton has a new number one contender to her WWE Women’s Championship.

Nia Jax defeated Jade Cargill on Friday’s WWE SmackDown in Dayton, Ohio to become the new top contender to the WWE Women’s title currently held by Stratton.

Stratton was ringside for Friday’s number one contender’s bout, and played into the finish. Cargill had the upper hand on Jax, but Naomi ran in and attacked Stratton. Cargill was distracted by the run-in, and Jax capitalized to pick up the win and become the new number one contender.

Jax and Stratton were aligned in storyline for much of 2024, with Jax holding the Women’s title for much of that time. Stratton then cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Jax on the first SmackDown of 2025 to win the title, turning herself babyface in the process.

No date has been set for the Stratton vs. Jax title rematch.

Also on SmackDown, Fraxiom’s Nathan Frazer and Axiom defeated WWE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) to set themselves up for a future title bout, although that has not yet been made official.

Friday’s SmackDown also featured the return of Alexa Bliss to in-ring competition.

Our report from SmackDown is here.

Tiffany Stratton cashes in, wins WWE Women’s Championship

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Tiffy Time is upon us.

Tiffany Stratton cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Friday’s SmackDown to win the WWE Women’s Championship in Phoenix.

In a sequence of events, Nia Jax defended the Women’s Championship on Friday’s SmackDown with a victory over Naomi in part thanks to a ruse involving Stratton. Jax and Candice LeRae spoke earlier in the show in a backstage segment and teased that Stratton was not there and that they had lost contact with her.

In the Jax vs. Naomi title match, Stratton ran in and teased a cash-in as LeRae distracted the referee, hitting Naomi with the MITB briefcase to allow Jax to retain.

In a double swerve, Stratton then attacked LeRae and threw her out of the ring. Bianca Belair ran in and hit a KOD on Jax, then Stratton tossed Belair over the announce desk. Stratton then officially cashed in, hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever, and became the WWE Women’s Champion.

Stratton, a Minnesota native and former NXT Women’s Champion, signed with WWE in 2021 after being trained by Greg Gagne. She joined WWE’s main roster in February 2024.

Stratton’s hometown Vikings of the NFL congratulated the new champ in a social media post:

Women’s Championship match booked for first WWE SmackDown of 2025

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The WWE Women’s Championship will be on the line on the first SmackDown of 2025.

As revealed during this week’s episode, WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax will defend her title against Naomi on the Friday, January 3 SmackDown.

Naomi was the challenger in Jax’s most recent televised defense as well on the November 15 SmackDown. Naomi, Bayley, and Bianca Belair scored a victory over Jax, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae in a trios bout on Friday’s SmackDown.

A non-title match with future championship implications is also official for the January 3 SmackDown.

United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura will take on Andrade in a non-title tilt on next week’s episode, with Andrade positioned as a potential next title contender should he come away with a victory.

The Street Profits could also be in line for a WWE Tag Team title match next week after defeating Legado Del Fantasma’s Angel and Berto on this week’s SmackDown, with Michael Cole pushing on commentary that the Profits could be next in line, although that has yet to be made official.

The announced card for the Friday, January 3 WWE SmackDown:

  • WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax defends against Naomi
  • Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Andrade

Nia Jax vs. Bayley Women’s title match set for WWE Bad Blood

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Bayley is heading to Bad Blood.

The former Women’s Champion has a chance to reclaim the title from Nia Jax at Bad Blood on October 5 in Atlanta. She defeated Naomi to become the new number one contender, connecting with the elbow off the top rope for the win. After the match, Bayley attempted to shake Naomi’s hand but Naomi instead left the ring, appearing upset with the loss.

Two weeks ago Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton challenged Naomi and Bayley to a match where if they pinned her or Stratton, they would get a title match at Bad Blood. But if Jax or Stratton pinned either of them, whoever lost would have to leave SmackDown. Naomi and Bayley ended up both getting the pin on last week’s SmackDown, leading to a disputed finish. The number one contender’s match was then set for this week’s show.

Towards the end of SmackDown, it was also announced that the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill would be hosting next month’s premium live event.

Here is the updated lineup for Bad Blood:

WWE Bad Blood 2024 (Saturday, October 5) —

  • Hell in a Cell match: CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Roman Reigns & Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu
  • Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan defends against Rhea Ripley
  • WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax defends against Bayley
  • Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor
  • Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill to host

Two title matches booked for next WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Nia Jax will defend the Women’s Championship in a street fight on the Friday, August 30 WWE SmackDown.

Jax is set for her first defense of the Women’s title against Michin in a new match for next Friday announced during this week’s SmackDown.

Michin crashed Jax’s title celebration on last week’s SmackDown to establish herself as the number one contender, then the bout was officially announced this week.

Another bout was teased for next week’s SmackDown as Andrade burst into Carmelo Hayes’ barbershop on Friday’s SmackDown to issue a challenge for another singles bout between the two. They have met three times on SmackDown in singles competition since July, with Andrade winning the first two, and Hayes winning their bout on last week’s show.

A Tag Team title bout with The Bloodline defending against DIY was also teased during Friday’s show, but not officially announced.

LA Knight also issued an open challenge for his United States title for Berlin. He successfully defended his title against Santos Escobar on Friday.

The official lineup for the Friday, August 30 SmackDown in Berlin so far:

  • WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax defends against Michin in a street fight
  • LA Knight’s United States title open challenge

Women’s Championship match added to WWE Clash at the Castle

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Bayley will defend the WWE Women’s Championship at Clash at the Castle.

WWE revealed late Friday that Piper Niven will challenge Bayley for the WWE Women’s title at Clash at the Castle set for Saturday, June 15 in Glasgow, Scotland.

In an angle on Friday’s SmackDown, Niven & Chelsea Green attacked Bayley as Bayley made her way to the ring for Nia Jax’s Queen of the Ring coronation. Green then announced Niven’s intention to take the title from Bayley.

Later on SmackDown, Niven & Green defeated Bayley & Naomi in tag team action with Green pinning Naomi, with the storyline being that Bayley was not at one hundred percent after the attack earlier in the show.

The Women’s Championship match joins the Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre World Heavyweight title bout as the first two matches set for Clash at the Castle. Both Niven and McIntyre are natives of Scotland.

The lineup for Clash at the Castle so far:

  • World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest defends against Drew McIntyre
  • WWE Women’s Champion Bayley defends against Piper Niven

Bayley wins WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Bayley is the new WWE Women’s Champion.

WWE’s first-ever women’s Grand Slam Champion added another accolade on Sunday in Philadelphia at WrestleMania 40, defeating IYO SKY in the show’s semi-main event to win the Women’s Championship.

In a bout where SKY kicked out of a Bayley-to-Belly, and Bayley kicked out of SKY’s trademark moonsault, Bayley scored the win by pinfall after a flying elbow and a Rose Plant.

The title match ends a nearly two-year storyline following Bayley forming the Damage CTRL group with SKY and Dakota Kai at SummerSlam 2022, Asuka & Kairi Sane eventually joining the group, then ultimately Damage CTRL turning on Bayley after her Royal Rumble win this year. 

NFL star George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers was ringside for Bayley’s win, as Bayley is a San Francisco Bay Area native and a Niners fan. Kittle’s appearance was highlighted on the WrestleMania broadcast.

While she had pushed for a live appearance by Paramore for WrestleMania, the band’s touring schedule would not allow for it according to Bayley’s social media. Instead the Hayley Williams-fronted group provided music for the pre-match video package for Bayley on Sunday.

Bayley’s best friend and former tag team partner Mercedes Mone posted the following message to Bayley on social media on Sunday:

Be so good they can’t ignore you because yoU we’re born to do this @itsBayleyWWE

Bayley becomes the fourth wrestler to hold the Women’s title since it was rebranded from the Raw Women’s Championship last year.

Women’s Championship match official for WWE Crown Jewel

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Bianca Belair will challenge IYO SKY for the WWE Women’s Championship at Crown Jewel. 

As announced during Friday’s SmackDown episode, Belair will face SKY for the Women’s title at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view set for Saturday, November 4. 

SKY cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Belair at SummerSlam in August to win the title on the same night Belair reclaimed the Championship from Asuka in a triple threat match. 

Belair was the victim of a backstage attack from Damage CTRL later that month on SmackDown, leading to a two-month hiatus from WWE programming. Belair made her return on last week’s SmackDown. 

Seven matches in total, and five title bouts are set for Crown Jewel which airs at 1 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network. 

The updated lineup for Crown Jewel:

  • Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defends against LA Knight
  • World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defends against Drew McIntyre
  • Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley defends against Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez, Shayna Baszler, and Zoey Stark in a fatal five-way match
  • Women’s Champion IYO SKY defends against Bianca Belair
  • United States Champion Rey Mysterio defends against Logan Paul
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest
  • John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa

IYO SKY to defend WWE Women’s Championship against Asuka

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Asuka will get her WWE Women’s Championship rematch in two weeks.

It was announced on Friday’s SmackDown that Asuka will get her rematch in two weeks, on the September 22 edition of SmackDown. Champion IYO Sky and Bayley were wrestling Shotzi and Charlotte Flair in the opening match of Friday’s show when Asuka distracted Dakota Kai, grabbing IYO’s title that Kai had been holding at ringside. This caused SKY to also become distracted, eventually allowing Charlotte to send IYO off the apron as Shotzi pinned Bayley.

Later, in a backstage promo, SKY issued the challenge to Asuka. In another backstage promo, Asuka said she wanted a rematch she never got, and told SKY that she was not ready for her.

Asuka lost the WWE Women’s Championship at SummerSlam, with Bianca Belair rolling her up while Charlotte had Belair in the figure eight. However, Damage CTRL came out and cleared the ring, allowing SKY to cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase and pin Belair to become the new WWE Women’s Champion.

WWE Women’s title match announced for SmackDown

Posted on by Ian Carey

A WWE Women’s Championship match has been added to the lineup for this week’s SmackDown. 

IYO SKY will defend her title against the LWO’s Zelina Vega on the show. The match was officially confirmed on Thursday afternoon.  

It will be SKY’s first televised defense since cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase on Bianca Belair at SummerSlam. She defended it twice last weekend on house shows in triple threat matches against Belair and Charlotte Flair, however. 

Vega will be going for her first singles title in WWE. She’s a former WWE Women’s tag champion with Carmella and won the Queen’s Crown tournament in 2021.  

Friday’s edition of SmackDown will take place from the KFC YUM! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Rey Mysterio vs. Grayson Waller is the only other match announced thus far. WrestleTix currently lists 8,261 tickets as having been distributed for the show. 

WWE SmackDown August 25, 2023 lineup:

  • WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY defends against Zelina Vega
  • Jimmy Uso appears
  • Rey Mysterio vs. Grayson Waller