Bully Ray Breaks Down Botched Finish in Triple Threat Match on SmackDown – The September 26 episode of WWE SmackDown saw WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton retain her title in a Triple Threat Match against Jade Cargill and Nia Jax, but the closing moments left fans scratching their heads. During the finish, Stratton went to cover Jax after Jade Cargill had landed a big move, but the referee only counted to two before abruptly stopping. Nearly ten seconds passed before Jax kicked out, creating an awkward pause that immediately sparked online discussion.
On Busted Open Radio, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray analyzed the sequence and placed the blame on Stratton for missing her cue. “You see Jade sit on Nia’s chest and hook both of her legs,” Bully explained. “Nia is looking towards her left, and Nia is looking at Tiffany Stratton. Why is Nia looking at Tiffany Stratton? Because Nia knows that Tiffany is responsible for making the save. Nia realizes that Tiffany is not going to be there in time… Tiffany is definitively late, which puts Nia in a bad position where she has to kick out. The ref swiped on three because she clearly does not think that this is the finish.”
Bully also questioned Jax’s decision to engage the referee mid-match. “What I don’t understand is why Nia decides to have a conversation with the referee. Nia turns to her right and starts going, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. The ref is looking at Nia, trying to understand what the hell is going on… I don’t think I’ve ever seen blatant communication like I saw there.”
According to Bully, the intended finish likely involved Stratton stealing the win from Cargill. “What I think was supposed to happen was that Tiffany Stratton was supposed to steal the victory from Jade Cargill. Jade hits the black hole slam, one, two. Tiffany hits the basement drop kick, the baseball side drop kick, and then covers and gets the 123,” he said.
Despite the misstep, Stratton walked out still champion and is now set to defend her title against Stephanie Vaquer at WWE Crown Jewel: Perth on October 11.
Bully Ray Breaks Down Botched Finish in Triple Threat Match on SmackDown
