Qualifying Matches For SummerSlam Begin; Charlotte Makes Her Presence Felt
Friday Night SmackDown aired this week from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York, less than 24 hours away from Saturday Night’s Main Event in Madison Square Garden and three weeks away from SummerSlam on August 1st and 2nd.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨Due to Rhea Ripley’s injury, Adam Pearce announces that an interim WWE Women's Champion will be crowned in a Ladder Match at #SummerSlam. pic.twitter.com/HtX9k8WYab
With SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis having been attacked by Gunther at the end of last week’s show, Raw general manager Adam Pearce is yet again filling in for him. He announced a five-woman ladder match at SummerSlam to determine the interim WWE Women’s Champion, as current champion Rhea Ripley is not cleared to compete due to a torn meniscus. While a timetable for her return is unknown, Pearce states that Rhea is still working closely with WWE’s medical team to make a comeback soon. In the meantime, qualifying matches for the ladder match will begin tonight, pitting Jade Cargill against Nia Jax, and Tiffany Stratton against Jacy Jayne.
A vignette aired to promote the qualifying matches. Cargill said that when opportunity comes knocking, she kicks down the door. She has a clear shot at her title after taking out Rhea? Bet. Jade feels the other women don’t understand is they can’t see her when it comes to champ talk. They are not cut from the same cloth as her. Not one woman in the locker room, including Nia, can step to her and stop her. At SummerSlam, she’s taking her title home with her.
Nia Jax isn’t feeling any pressure coming for her third world championship, but the other women should. Even Jade knows just how dominant she is. She’s been to the top before, and she thinks it’s time they climb back up there and make a permanent home, because at SummerSlam, everyone is going to be calling her your new champion.
Jacy Jayne says that Fatal Influence shook the table when they arrived on SmackDown a few months ago, but since th
