Friday’s WWE SmackDown featured a major title change.
In the final hour of the show, Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley defeated Fatal Influence’s Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Paxley was originally set to team with Charlotte Flair. However, Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab laid out Flair backstage, leaving her medically unable to compete. As a result, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis confirmed Bliss as Flair’s replacement and banned everyone from ringside, including Jacy Jayne.
The match was closely contested, with Henley and Reid in control for much of it. At one point, Paxley came close to winning, but Reid put Henley’s foot on the ropes to break up the pin.
Late in the match, Bliss took out Reid on the floor with Sister Abigail. That opened the door for Paxley to hit Henley with the Cemetery Drive and score the pinfall to win the titles.
Fatal Influence won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship on July 18 at Saturday Night’s Main Event, defeating Paige and Brie Bella at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The win gives Paxley her first title on the WWE main roster. Bliss, meanwhile, begins her fifth reign as Women’s Tag Team Champion. She previously held the title with Nikki Cross, Asuka and Charlotte Flair.