Cry long enough, and eventually someone will hand you a tissue.
After months of complaining about Jade Cargill not defending the WWE Women’s Championship on TV, fans will finally get what they want this Friday on SmackDown, when she puts the title on the line against former TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace.
WWE promoted the match earlier this week on social media, writing, “We can’t wait until these two battle for the WWE Women’s Championship next week.” Upon seeing this, Cargill fired back, “I
know so ppl can stfu.”
Since beating Tiffany Stratton for the gold at Saturday Night’s Main Event in November, WWE has booked Cargill as a bully. They credited her for purposely sidelining Michin after Michin was injured inadvertently against Cargill at a live event. Since then, Cargill steamrolled B-Fab, Alba Fyre, and Chelsea Green on SmackDown.
But as WWE was positioning Cargill as her division’s final boss, a funny thing happened. Fans began hating her, not because she was a meanie, but for not defending the title on TV. That inactivity has only intensified her heat, creating the desired result for a heel champion: a fan base hungry to see her lose the title.
Meanwhile, Jordynne Grace, fresh from a run in NXT, stepped up to the champ, matching her edge and attitude. Now WWE is pulling the trigger on a televised title defense at the right time.
If the match ends in chaos, their feud could extend to Elimination Chamber in Chicago, bolstering WWE’s next premium live event. Ultimately, if — nay, when Cargill is successful, it should be her last defense before WrestleMania.
That would create as much as a 60-plus-day gap without defending the title. Another period of dormancy would only fuel current resentment, ensuring that fans will rally behind whoever tries to take the title from Cargill on WWE’s grandest stage.
That’s the magic of pro wrestling at its finest. The trick, however, is knowing how long to let the audience stew before crowning a new champion. Most likely, WWE will have its answer come the big show in April.
In the meantime, to the chagrin of many, that switch isn’t happening on Friday. So stock up on Kleenex, folks — it’s gonna be a long road to WrestleMania.
