Last time in action: LeRae lost to Jacy Jayne (Main Event, June 19), Stratton lost a six-woman tag to Fatal Influence (SD, Sept. 25), Paxley lost a six-woman tag to The Baddies (SNME, Sept. 6)
The show did not waste time with talking segments and got right into the action with LeRae, Stratton and Paxley fighting for one of the final MITB spots.
These are three very different characters, but they all share a lot of similar attributes in the ring. They are all capable of some high-flying, and they all favor a quicker pace.
This match isn’t going to be a show-stealer for most people, and it had a few too many moments that didn’t quite look right, but it definitely had some highlights along the way.
Paxley is a breath of fresh air on SmackDown, and having LeRae competing again is going to add even more depth to the division. She was wasted sitting on the sidelines for far too long, so getting to see her show off a little was nice.
Stratton felt like the most obvious booking choice in this match heading into Friday, so booking either opponent to win was WWE’s chance to do something less predictable. Unfortunately, they went with the predictable outcome.
Tiffy winning is not a bad thing. She will be great in the MITB match. It just would have been nice to see a new face like Tatum or someone like Candice, who has deserved a spotlight for a long time, get that spot.
Result: Stratton defeated LeRae and Paxley
Notable Moments and Observations