With SmackDown coming to fans from Orlando, Florida, Paul “Triple H” Levesque took it upon himself to give fans a preview of what's to come in the WWE Universe by having young stars like Carmelo Hayes, Wes Lee, the Cavinder Twins, and Tiffany Stratton wave to the crowd watching at home.
For Stratton specifically, making the trip from the Performance Center to Amway Center didn't require a Kimura-style twist of the arm, as the NXT Champion is a sort of mentor-mentee relationship with Charlotte Flair, who was booked for a match against IYO SKY, as she noted in an interview with The Neighbor.
“Charlotte and I actually talked a couple of times,” Tiffany Stratton said. “She has been a huge help to me. I can go to her for a lot of things. She gave me guidance through all of this crazy stuff, especially because I’m so new to all of this. She has been a huge help…There have been times I’ve doubted myself. Everyone goes through that. Charlotte reminds me I’m doing everything right. That I’m so young, and it’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them. I made mistakes already being a champion. But I learn from them right away. I’m so new to this. I’m so young and will grow with the title to hopefully be one of the best champions NXT has ever seen.”
Asked about the prospects of defending her title against a main roster performer, this time by Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, Stratton noted that she's accepting all sorts of challengers for her NXT Women's Championship, especially versus Flair, who she believes she would have fantastic in-ring chemistry with if given a chance.
“If anybody wants to step up, go right ahead,” Stratton said via Fightful. “There are some women on the main roster, you know, I want to wrestle the best woman in the world. I think Charlotte Flair is on that level. She's the best to ever do it, in my opinion, and I feel like in a lot of other people's opinions. I would love to have a match with her. I think we'd have great in-ring chemistry. I think it would be a banger match and a must-see.”
Unfortunately for Stratton, she probably won't be wrestling Flair any time soon, as Ric's daughter may soon be the WWE Women's Champion once more should she win her three-way match with Bianca Belair and Asuka at SmackDown, but who knows, considering how quickly the current NXT Women's Champion is rising up the ranks, she might be challenging Charlotte for a match at WrestleMania 40 before fans can say 2024 WWE Draft.
Tiffany Stratton hints at a new finisher for The Great American Bash.
When Tiffany Stratton takes the ring at The Great American Bash in Cedar Park, Texas, it will be unlike any match she has ever appeared in before.
Now granted, there will be some similarities for Stratton, as she's wrestled in front of a paying audience before, has defended her NXT Women's Championship before, and has even wrestled against Thea Hali with the strap on the line, but for the first time in a long time, the 24-year-old Prior Lake, Minnesota native won't be able to secure the W with her signature maneuver, the Prettiest Moonsault Ever, as he'll have to win the contest with a submission maneuver, as per the conditions she agreed to for the match.
Fortunately, as she noted in her interview with The Neighbor, Stratton has been doing the work to study submission wrestling and will have a maneuver up her sleeve to finish off the pride of Chase U.
“Of course, I’ll do whatever it takes. If that means I have to sit down and watch submission match after submission match, then I’m going to do that. I’m going to go to open ring, and I’m going to work on the best submissions I think that would fit me,” Stratton said.
“I’ll do whatever it takes, and that’s why I’m champion. That’s why I’m at the top of the women’s division because I will do whatever it takes. I work harder than any other woman in that locker room, and I prove it every time I have a match.”
What could Stratton have up her sleeve to take a shot at Hail and her now-signature Kimura lock? Well, assuming Stratton calls over her good pal Charlotte Flair for some advice, it's pretty safe to say she'll be whipping off a Figure Eight from her bag of tricks.