25-year-old guarantees WWE Backlash France title change
Backlash France is scheduled to feature five matches, including Bayley's WWE Women's Championship defense against Naomi and Tiffany Stratton. After the May 3 episode of SmackDown, Stratton promised to leave Lyon with her first main roster title.
Stratton teamed up with Damage CTRL members Asuka, Dakota Kai, and Kairi Sane against Bayley, Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, and Naomi. At one stage, the 25-year-old came close to winning the SmackDown match for her team after hitting an Alabama Slam on Bayley. However, Naomi broke up the pinfall.
In a post-match interview with WWE reporter Byron Saxton, Stratton guaranteed she would dethrone Bayley at Backlash France:
"I was this close, Byron, to pinning Bayley, and then Naomi had to so rudely insert herself into our business. And guess what? Come tomorrow night, when the Tiffy title is on the line, I am coming out on the Tiffy top and I am taking the title away from Bayley. Toodles." [1:03 – 1:19]
Backlash France will be headlined by Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles on May 4. The match will be Rhodes' first televised title defense since beating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
What happened in Tiffany Stratton's match before Backlash France
After Naomi broke up Tiffany Stratton's pinfall attempt, Bayley tagged in Jade Cargill and the momentum swung in the fan-favorite quartet's favor.
Cargill decimated Asuka, Dakota Kai, and Kairi Sane before tagging in Bianca Belair. The EST then performed an athletic double-team move with Cargill before her attempt to pin Kai was broken up by Sane.
In a chaotic finish, Belair hit Kai with a K.O.D. to pick up the win after Bayley took Stratton out of the match with a Bayley-to-Belly suplex.
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