Nia Jax and Lash Legend captured the Women’s Tag Team Championships on WWE SmackDown by defeating Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY in a hard-fought match on February 13. This title change occurred just days before Ripley’s scheduled appearance at the Elimination Chamber event, marking a dramatic shift in the division.
Match Highlights and Key Moments
The match began with SKY and Legend facing off, where SKY quickly dominated her opponent before tagging in Ripley. The champions, Ripley and SKY, initially took control with aggressive teamwork, executing baseball slides against their challengers. However, Jax and Legend retaliated by driving them into the ringside barricade multiple times, intensifying the contest.
Ripley nearly secured a fall on Jax following a combination of a hurricanrana and a top-rope missile dropkick, but Legend thwarted the tag attempt by pulling Ripley off the apron. Jax responded with a Samoan Drop and aimed for her finisher, the Annihilator. Despite Ripley countering with a powerbomb, both challengers intensified their assault, with Jax delivering a second Samoan Drop onto the commentary table.
Outside the ring, SKY temporarily shifted momentum with a missile dropkick and a suicide dive targeting both Legend and Jax. She followed up with a meteora and an Over the Moonsault onto Legend, yet Jax repeatedly interrupted pin attempts. When Jax finally executed the Annihilator on SKY, Ripley intervened, dragging Legend out of the ring just in time.
Decisive Finish and Championship Impact
The match’s climax saw Ripley execute her Riptide finisher on Jax, but since Legend was the legal competitor, she capitalized by applying the Lash Extension submission hold to claim victory. This win awarded Lash Legend her first WWE gold alongside Jax, surprising many and shaking up the women’s tag team landscape heading into future events.
