World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) will begin the week with new champions on the SmackDown brand and a notable debut in NXT. Jacy Jayne defeated Tiffany Stratton to win the Women's United States Championship, while the team of Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga claimed the WWE Tag Team Championship from Damian Priest and R-Truth.
SmackDown Title Changes
On Friday Night SmackDown, Jayne's victory for the Women's United States Championship adds to the dominance of the faction Fatal Influence, which already holds the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship with Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley. The Tonga brothers' win in a triple-threat match also shifted the tag team division, with Haku now managing the newly crowned champions.
The Intercontinental Championship is also set to be contested on Monday Night Raw, with Rey Mysterio challenging Chad Gable. Meanwhile, a tournament continues for the World Heavyweight Championship, featuring matches between Dragon Lee and El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., and Rey Fenix and El Fiscal. Penta and LA Parka have advanced to the semifinals.
Additionally, Kevin Owens is scheduled to face CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship on Friday, a bout stemming from Owens' win in a fatal four-way match at SummerSlam.
NXT Debut
In NXT, the landscape for the NXT Championship shifted with the debut of Zilla Fatu. Fatu interrupted a match between Grayson Waller and Cruz Montana, who were competing for the No. 1 contender spot for champion Tony D’Angelo's title. Fatu's actions immediately positioned him as a new factor in the NXT title picture.
These developments set the stage for upcoming events such as Sunday Night’s Main Event and Night of Champions, with several wrestlers pursuing championship gold.