
Tiffany Stratton will defend the WWE Women’s Championship in a marquee match against Jade Cargill at SummerSlam. By then, she will have held the title for more than 210 days, making her WWE’s longest-reigning current champion. But despite notching victories over several big names, Stratton’s reign feels more like empty calories than a defining era.
When the year began, Stratton was a heel aligned with Candice LeRae and then–Women’s Champion Nia Jax. In a shocking twist, Stratton blindsided both women
as she cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Jax to win the title on the Jan. 3 episode of SmackDown.
SHE CASHED IN!!! @tiffstrattonwwe is your NEW WWE Women's Champion!!! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/LHIPSJqHuf
— WWE (@WWE) January 4, 2025
Although she had been presented as a heel, fans were getting behind Stratton in the previous months. Her support surged after the win, but her character’s tone didn’t change. The following week on SmackDown, Stratton delivered a promo that doubled down on her arrogant persona.
“I stole her most prized possession, her WWE Women’s Championship,” Stratton gloated. “And now I’m at the tippy top of my game, and without further ado, put some respect on my name, and tell me what time it is.”
Stratton’s presentation remained inconsistent a week later. In her first title defense, she defeated women’s division cornerstone and fan favorite Bayley. More recently, Stratton defeated another crowd favorite, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus, at last weekend’s Evolution. On paper, it was a headline-making win. Yet, it fell flat due to minimal buildup and a lack of meaningful story.
In 2025, Stratton has wrestled 14 times, averaging a match almost every two weeks. Yet she has only defended her Women’s Title six times. Most of her matches have been filler, despite being solid in-ring efforts.
To date, Stratton’s signature victory came at WrestleMania 41, where she stunned Charlotte Flair. It was a surprising outcome, considering that in the weeks leading into the match, Flair had gotten the best of Stratton on the microphone.
That changed when Stratton stood up for herself by attacking Flair’s personal life. As the women traded barbs in the ring, Stratton went low, saying Flair was 0–3 in marriage, pointing out how Flair, in real life, had been divorced three times.
The line was reportedly not in the script, and it was one that hurt Flair in reality.
“I wasn’t expecting it to come up in that promo,” said Flair in an article she penned for The Players’ Tribune. “And then all of a sudden I had an entire arena cheering as I got mocked for something that was (and frankly still is) devastating to me.”
Still, fans eager to boo Flair found Stratton’s zinger something to cling to as they continued to cheer her in her victory over Flair at WrestleMania. Yet even that moment, while monumental, didn’t result in the kind of momentum shift expected from beating a generational star.
WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray offered his perspective on what has been hampering Stratton. During an episode of the Busted Open podcast, he noted that despite the cheers from the crowd, her television character comes across as a villain.
“There is nothing about Tiffany Stratton’s act, from beginning to end, that makes you think babyface,” said Ray. “She’s got a cool moonsault. And what else?”
“Why should I care about Tiffany Stratton?” he continued. “What about Tiffany Stratton makes me care? What does she do? What does she say? What type of emotional investment do I have in Tiffany Stratton?”
As critical as Ray and his co-host Dave LaGreca were of Stratton’s presentation and her storyline — or lack thereof — with Stratus, Ray was complimentary of Stratton’s potential. He noted how her previous appearance on the show, where she seemed to be in character as a heel, had him wondering if she was working her gimmick or being genuine.
While Ray acknowledged Stratton’s upside, he questioned the substance behind her current character.
“She’s an entrance, a moonsault, and a tagline,” said Ray. “Can she be more than that? Absolutely.”
While Stratton has the tools to become the face of the women’s division, her upcoming title defense against Jade Cargill has little time left to develop into a meaningful program. With only three episodes of SmackDown remaining before SummerSlam, WWE has a narrow window to build real stakes and emotional investment.
What once seemed like a potential high-stakes triangle between Stratton, Cargill, and Money in the Bank holder Naomi has fizzled. Naomi cashed in on Raw’s Women’s World Champion Iyo Sky instead, removing the suspense that had fans speculating about Naomi’s role in the SmackDown title picture. With that intrigue gone, Stratton vs. Cargill risks feeling like a cold match with no narrative weight.
Their last encounter in April, a no-contest on SmackDown, teased solid in-ring chemistry. But a rematch alone isn’t enough. Without a compelling story or standout promo work — especially from Stratton — her reign will continue to lack the gravitas expected of a top champion.
If nothing changes, “Tiffy Time” will feel less like the era of a defining star and more like a clock that’s stopped ticking.
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