WWE's Nia Jax Moves On to Queen of the Ring Finals on SmackDown

Nia Jax defeats Bianca Belair on SmackDown and will face Lyra Valkyria at King and Queen of the Ring

By Matthew Aguilar

King and Queen of the Ring takes place tomorrow, but before the final matchups that will determine Title showdowns for SummerSlam, there were two last match-ups happening on SmackDown to solidify the lineup. The first of those two matches kicked off the episode, with Bianca Belair taking on Nia Jax. While both are powerhouses, Belair wasn't able to capitalize on that power after she took a hard landing on her previous injured knee. After that, Jax lasered in on the damaged leg, and after enduring even more damage throughout the match, Belair collapsed when trying to hit the KOD. Jax took advantage, landing the annihilator and moving on to face Lyra Valkyria in the finals at tomorrow's premium live event.

Jax and Belair showcased their power to start off the match, and Jax got the first shots in. Jax threw Belair around the ring a bit and then threw her into the corner, but Belair managed to get a choke hold on Jax. Jax tried to throw Belair again but The EST showcased her athleticism and landed on her feet. Unfortunately, she landed right on the hurt knee and was limping a bit after the landing.

Belair slammed Jax face-first into the turnbuckle and then landed a few hits on the back of Jax's head. Back from break, Jax was firmly in control, but a submission attempt didn't land and Belair was able to almost pin Jax. Jax escaped and hit the Samoan drop on Belair, but Belair kicked out of the pin attempt.

Belair went up top and hit a crossbody, but she grabbed her leg immediately after, causing a gap between the landing and going for the pin. Jax kicked out and Belair was clearly not putting weight on the leg. Jax capitalized and then hit a leg drop right on the knee before dragging Belair to the corner. Belair got up and lifted Jax, and on one leg hit a powerbomb. Belair went for the pin but Jax kicked out.

Belair held her leg afterwards, and she was clearly hurt. Belair still got to her feet and tried for a KOD, but Jax was right back to the leg, slamming the knee into the mat. Jax attacked the knee and went up top, but Belari broke up the jump and lifted Jax for a KOD again. She had her up but collapsed, and Jax hit a senton before dragging her over to another corner. Jax hit the annihilator and got the pin and the win, and will move on to the finals.

Jax spoke to Lyra in the crowd, saying "Hey Lyra, you see that? That's Bianca Belair. I just buzzed through Bianca Belair. The same way I buzzed through Becky Lynch. The same way I buzzed through Rhea Ripley. And the same way I'm going to buzz right through you to become the Queen of the Ring. And thanks to Triple H's announcement, at SummerSlam, I'm going to be Queen and Champion, and it's all going to start tomorrow when I buzz through you." You can find the updated card for the premium live event below.

King and Queen of the Ring Updated Card:

  • King of the Ring final: Gunther vs. winner of Randy Orton/Tama Tonga
  • Queen of the Ring final: Lyra Valkyria vs. Nia Jax
  • Undisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Logan Paul
  • Women's World Championship match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan
  • Triple threat match for Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed

Who ya got WWE fans, Nia Jax or Lyra Valkyria? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

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