Tiffany Stratton retained the WWE Women’s Championship in the main event of SmackDown, confirming a champion vs. champion showdown with Stephanie Vaquer at Crown Jewel. The victory came on the September 26 broadcast, where Stratton pinned Nia Jax in a Triple Threat contest that also featured Jade Cargill. With this win, Stratton advances to face Vaquer, the reigning Women’s World Champion, on October 11 in Perth, Australia.
The bout lasted 14 minutes and ended in controversy. After a dropkick, Stratton covered Jax, who did not appear to kick out. The referee stopped the count at two, sparking confusion. Following a brief exchange, Stratton hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever and scored the definitive pinfall over Jax.
Earlier, Cargill nearly captured the championship after landing her Jaded finisher on Stratton. Jax pulled the referee from the ring to halt the count, keeping the match alive. The fight spilled to ringside, where Cargill suffered a cut above her eye after taking a Samoan Drop onto the steel steps. Medical staff responded quickly, but the contest continued without interruption.
The upcoming clash at Crown Jewel will crown the Women’s Crown Jewel Champion. Vaquer, who defeated IYO SKY for her title at Wrestlepalooza, now stands opposite Stratton in one of the event’s marquee matches at Perth’s RAC Arena.
For Stratton, the win marked her ninth successful defense in a reign that has lasted 267 days. She began her run after cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase on Jax earlier this year. Cargill, who challenged Stratton at SummerSlam following her Queen of the Ring triumph, added further intrigue to the main event despite not leaving with gold.
As SmackDown closed, Vaquer entered the ring to confront Stratton. The two champions faced off in silence, each raising her title belt in a tense staredown to end the broadcast.