Nia Jax sends strong message to WWE fans ahead of first SmackDown as Queen of the Ring
Nia Jax will make her first appearance on WWE SmackDown tonight as the new Queen of the Ring. Ahead of the show, The Irresistible Force sent a strong message to the fans.
The 40-year-old defeated Lyra Valkyria in the final to win the crown at the King and Queen of the Ring Premium Live Event. Jax put forth an incredible performance throughout the tournament as she upstaged Naomi, Jade Cargill (via DQ), and Bianca Belair on her way to the Saudi Arabia premium live event.
WWE recently took to Instagram to share Nia Jax's video message addressing the fans. The former RAW Women's Champion pointed out that the WWE Universe did not believe in her during her previous run with the Stamford-based company. She further claimed to have improved so much that she no longer needed anyone's backing.
"Two years ago, you didn't believe in me. While I was gone, I got refocused. I got better. I got more dangerous. Look at me now! I don't need any of you to have my back. Because now I'm the Queen, and you all can bow down, you peasants," she said.
You can check out her Instagram update below:
WWE veteran credits Triple H for Nia Jax's improvement
Nia Jax's last WWE run received backlash from several wrestling fans as many of her opponents sustained injuries during bouts against The Irresistible Force. She was released from her contract in 2021.
The new Queen of the Ring returned to the Stamford-based company last year in September, attacking Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez during their championship bout on Monday Night RAW. Jax asserted her dominance on the two and hasn't looked back since. She appears to be more confident and assured inside the squared circle during her current run.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, former WWE manager Dutch Mantell stated that the company's head of creative, Triple H, valued Nia's talent and helped her refine her in-ring skills.
The 74-year-old further claimed that Jax was unlikely to fail this time around, considering the work put into helping her improve:
"See, her big criticism was that she hurt people. But Triple H said, 'We gotta fix that. We can't have this specimen of a talent just sitting there doing nothing. So we can correct that.' So you can tell they have done a lot of work on her. If this [is] Triple H's stamp is on her, the last thing he wants is for her to fail. And she's not gonna fail. You can tell how much work they put into her," he said. [From 13:00 onwards]
You can check out his comments in the video below:
Nia Jax has her eyes set on Bayley and the WWE Women's Championship. As the winner of the Queen of the Ring tournament, she will challenge for the title at SummerSlam later this year.