The WWE SmackDown main event in Orlando didn’t end the way anyone expected—especially the fans.
In a triple threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship, Tiffany Stratton defended her title against Jade Cargill and Nia Jax. While the action delivered, it was the botched finish and on-the-fly adjustments that stole the show.
During the match, all three women had nearfalls, but things took a sharp turn when Jade Cargill was busted open. After a rough spot, she looked directly into the camera to show off the cut on her head, blood clearly running down her face.
Late in the match, Cargill hit her Eye of the Storm spinning slam on Jax and went for the cover. But as the referee began counting, Tiffany Stratton was a beat late on the break-up. That’s when things got awkward. The referee suddenly stopped the count—even though Jax hadn’t kicked out—leading to a clunky and confusing moment.
Fans in the arena noticed instantly and booed the awkward sequence as the referee paused, Jax lifted her shoulder in slow motion, and Stratton hesitated before hitting an elbow drop. She quickly followed it up with her Prettiest Moonsault Ever to pin Jax and retain her title.
Behind the scenes, TC of Wrestlevotes confirmed on X/Twitter that Stratton was always meant to win, but the finish was scrambled because of Cargill’s injury.
“Tiffany was always scheduled to win, but Jade bleeding made them come up with a finish on the fly resulting in the clunkiness we saw.”
The show was also close to ending, which added more pressure to improvise quickly.
“It’s extremely difficult to communicate & execute everything on the fly so quickly when the show has less than 3 minutes until its off the air.”
The match was produced by TJ Wilson, who had to pivot mid-match. TC of Wrestlevotes added:
“The sequence at the end was obviously altered on the fly due to Jade Cargill’s gash but the winner of the match was always intended to be Tiffany Stratton.”
It’s unclear whether any of the participants—Stratton, Jax, Cargill, or referee Daphanie LaShaunn—will be blamed for the moment, but this is just another reminder that live wrestling is never easy, even at the main event level.
Tiffany Stratton’s win keeps her locked in for WWE Crown Jewel on October 11th, where she’ll face Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer. The winner of that match will be crowned the 2025 Women’s Crown Jewel Champion.
What did you think of the finish to Smack Down? Was it a forgivable mistake or something WWE should’ve handled better? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
September 27, 2025 11:45 am
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