Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley are the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. According to Wrestling Inc., the pair beat Fatal Influence, Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley, on the October 9 episode of SmackDown, with Paxley securing the pinfall using a Cemetery Drive.
A late change of partner
The title match was originally booked as Reid and Henley against Charlotte Flair and Paxley. Wrestling Inc. reported that Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab attacked Flair backstage, which removed her from the match and put Bliss in her place.
How the match played out
Reid and Henley controlled the first half, according to the report. They worked over Paxley through the commercial break and kept her from tagging in Bliss. Momentum shifted once Bliss got the tag, though the champions continued to find openings. At one point the referee caught them trying to use each other for illegal leverage on a pin attempt.
The finish came when Reid went after Bliss on the outside and Bliss hit her with a Sister Abigail. Inside the ring, Paxley missed a 450 Splash and rolled through as Henley moved aside. Paxley then caught Henley and finished her with the Cemetery Drive.
What it means for the new champions
Wrestling Inc. noted that this is Paxley's first title win on WWE's main roster. It is also her first championship in WWE since June, when she held the WWE NXT Women's North American Championship.
For Bliss, it begins a fifth reign as a Women's Tag Team Champion. She previously held the titles twice with Nikki Cross, once with Asuka and once with Flair. The outlet said that makes her the third woman, after Asuka and Raquel Rodriguez, to hold the titles five times.
The sequence also leaves some loose ends. Flair was taken out of the picture before the match, and Cargill, Michin and B-Fab were behind the attack. The source does not say what comes next for either group.
Reporting sources: Wrestling Inc. - Pro Wrestling News, WWE & AEW Results, Superstar Interviews, “Alexa Bliss & Tatum Paxley Win WWE Women's Tag Titles On SmackDown”.