Spoiler: WWE Crowns New Champion After SmackDown Ends

WWE crowns the first-ever Speed Women's Champion after SmackDown goes off air

By Matthew Aguilar

SmackDown closed out its last show before Bad Blood with a Ladder Match for the Tag Team Championships, but that wasn't the last Championship battle of the night. After SmackDown went off air, WWE taped its final match of the WWE Speed Women's Championship Tournament, and the final showdown was between Iyo Sky and Candice LeRae. Those in attendance (via @honestwrasslin) got to see the match live ahead of its premiere on X, and it was LeRae who would walk away as the first-ever WWE Speed Women's Champion!

Backing Up Her Promise

Last week LeRae took to X to share her thoughts about some of her doubters before she took on Kairi Sane in the semifinal match-up of the tournament. In the video, she addresses fans on X talking about how Piper Niven is the better wrestler or previewing a match between Kairi and Iyo Sky without acknowledging she had to beat LeRae first. Suffice it to say, she wasn't having any of that.

"Let's talk about my Speed match victory last week against Piper Niven, because some of you on X had very strong opinions about it. Opinions like, ah, Piper is a better wrestler. She should've won. Now is Piper a great wrestler...yes, yes she is. Absolutely, but I beat her, which makes me the better wrestler," LeRae said.

"And I advanced in this tournament by myself, so, ya know. Let's see...oh, ones like this are my favorite. Kairi vs Iyo would be crazy. You know a few people agreed with you. What's crazy is you're all overlooking the fact that Kairi has to beat me first. She won't. I will beat Kairi, and then, I will beat Iyo Sky, and you will all...eat your words as I become the first Speed Women's Champion," LeRae said.

Big Time Competition  

WWE stacked the first-ever Speed Women's Championship tournament with talent, as the tournament initially included Lyra Valkyria, Iyo Sky, Naomi, Blair Davenport, Elektra Lopez, Kairi Sane, Candice LeRae, and Piper Niven. LeRae would defeat Niven and Sane would defeat Lopez, moving on to a match in the semifinals.

On the other side of the bracket, it would be Sky defeating Valkyria, while Naomi would defeat Davenport to move on to the semifinals. Then it was Sky who would defeat Naomi to move to the Championship tier, and that would culminate with the match tonight. Now LeRae has become the Champion, and we'll have to wait and see who will be her first challenger.

WWE Bad Blood Card

  • Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes vs Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu
  • WWE Women's Championship Match (Dominik Hanging in Shark Cage): Liv Morgan (C) vs. Rhea Ripley
  • Hell in a Cell: CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre
  • WWE Women's Championship Match: Nia Jax (C) vs. Bayley
  • Damian Priest vs Finn Balor

Who should be LeRae's first challenger? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb! 

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