Jade Cargills heel turn on Tiffany Stratton might have grabbed headlines on WWE SmackDown, but not everyone was impressed with how it went down. During the October 24 episode from the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona, Cargill made a dramatic statement that instantly changed her trajectory in WWE.
After Tiffany Stratton defeated Kiana James, she was jumped by James and Giulia. Jade Cargill ran down to make the save, but instead of standing tall with Stratton, she paused, lifted Tiffanys hand, placed the WWE Womens Title on her shoulderand then attacked her out of nowhere.
What followed was a vicious beating around the ringside area as officials tried and failed to separate them. By the time Cargill walked away holding the Womens Championship, her heel turn was complete.
While WWE clearly wanted to make a major statement with the segment, Wrestling Observer Radios Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales werent buying into the execution. Gonzales said the turn was as predictable as it gets.
Meltzer agreed and explained that he would have gone in the opposite direction.
He added that WWE is clearly determined to give Cargill a major push, regardless of fan reaction.
Meltzer then broke down WWEs internal reasoning for the decision, noting that the company doesnt want to look like they made a mistake by signing Cargill from AEW.
He also compared Cargill to Bianca Belair, pointing out how far apart the two are in skill level despite WWE viewing them through a similar lens.
Meltzer clarified that his comparison wasnt meant to bury Cargill, but to out over that Belair has already mastered everything WWE wants Jade to become.
He concluded by saying WWE is pushing forward with Jades title path because theyre determined to justify her signing and show faith in her star powereven if she hasnt fully earned it in the ring yet.
WWEs decision to turn Jade Cargill heel and move her closer to championship gold is bold, but Meltzer believes its more about optics than storytelling. Whether fans will buy into her new roleor see through the pushremains to be seen.
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