It didn’t take any time at all for Tiffany Stratton to become a fan favorite once she hit the SmackDown roster, and whether stateside or overseas, Stratton received massive pops from the crowd whenever she hit the ring. Stratton would then hit another huge milestone when she claimed the Money in the Bank briefcase, though she has yet to cash that in. That’s all about to change though, as WWE has been heavily teasing an ever-growing rift between Stratton and the WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax. That hit overdrive during tonight’s SmackDown though, and it was yet another reminder that when Stratton does eventually cash in on Jax, which could be as soon as Bad Blood, the response is going to be epic.
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A Crumbling Alliance
Over the past few SmackDowns, fans have started to see more cracks in the friendship between Jax and Stratton, though there were also tensions early on. Those early issues emanated from Stratton almost cashing in the briefcase on Bayley while she was still Champion, and Jax kept having to make sure she wasn’t going to do it until she could take Bayley down and become Champion.
Since then Jax became Champion and has had a staunch ally in Stratton during her Title reign. That alliance has started to sour though, as Jax has become more volatile over the past few weeks, taking out her frustrations on Stratton at several different points. It really took a turn last week before the tag match against Bayley and Naomi, as Jax threatened Stratton if she was the reason they lost the match.
Jax and Stratton would indeed lose the match, but it was actually Jax who would end up pinned. The problem was that she was pinned by both Naomi and Bayley, and thus not only did they lose, but neither opponent was going to end up leaving SmackDown.
The Turn Is Coming…and Soon
That led us to tonight, which would feature a match between Naomi and Bayley to decide who would face Jax at Bad Blood. Stratton and Jax met in the locker room, but things took a turn when Jax showed just how angry she was that either of them were getting a shot at her Title next week. Jax started to choke Stratton and Stratton apologized for being hurt and unable to get rid of Bayley or Naomi.
Jax was still seething and told Stratton that if this ends badly for her, it will end very badly for Stratton. Jax would then switch gears and say they could be friends again, smiling as she left the room. Stratton held her neck and started to think about what happened, and that’s when the expression changed. Stratton’s expression change signals that her alliance with Jax is coming to an end sooner than later, and it’s being teased that it could happen as soon as Bad Blood.
The recipe for a big cash-in is already set in place. Bayley will face Jax for the Title in a rematch, and Stratton now has no love for either competitor. All she has to do is wait for the right time and take out Bayley and get the pin on Jax, and if she does, prepare for the roof to blow off the arena. Sure Stratton is currently a heel, but she’s incredibly over at the moment, and it doesn’t hurt that WWE has managed to build up substantial empathy for her through Jax’s recent actions.
Even if Stratton wins the Championship, she could still stay a heel but probably would lean further into the more lovable heel side of things. Fans will love to see Jax get served, and while they will feel for Bayley losing out on a Championship, having Stratton in that spot will make up for it.
Do you think we’ll see the cash-in at Bad Blood? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!
