During the November 22, WWE SmackDown, footage revealed that Jade Cargill had been laid out in the parking lot and was left bruised and bloodied on the hood of a smashed car. The beating was so bad that Bianca Belair abandoned her Women’s U.S. Championship tournament match to check on her friend and tag-team partner. WWE would follow up after SmackDown by giving a painful update on Cargill.
Legitimately Injured
While the attack on Cargill was part of the show, the reigning WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion is actually out of action. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer has confirmed that Cargill is hurt and will be out for three months and potentially longer. WWE’s storyline injuries are mirroring Cargill’s real situation.
Who Attacked Jade Cargill?
WWE wasted no time in making the attack a whodunnit, with Nick Aldis questioning Nia Jax during the latest SmackDown about her potential involvement in what happened. The reigning WWE Women’s Champion has pointed the finger of suspicion at Naomi, who has denied that she tried to take out her ‘sis.’
Impact On WWE’s Plans
Cargill had been scheduled to compete inside WarGames at this weekend’s Survivor Series, and she has since been replaced by Bayley. The match would’ve been Cargill’s first WarGames and would’ve seen her team with Belair, Naomi, IYO SKY, and Rhea Ripley to face Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae.
A huge question looming now is what this will mean for Jade and Belair’s tenure as Women’s Tag Team Champions. In 2023 the titles were stripped from Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan when the latter went down with an injury. However, that same year, Sonya Deville went down with an injury and Chelsea Green remained a champion after replacing her partner with Piper Niven.
Belair’s injury has also seen her be replaced in the Women’s U.S. Title Tournament. Jade had been scheduled to face Michin and Piper Niven in her first-round match.
WrestleMania Comeback?
If Cargill is off for three months, then her return window will open around late February, in the middle of the road to WrestleMania 41. WWE could build up her comeback for the two-night spectacle and give the popular star a return that fans will remember at WrestleMania for years to come, potentially against her assailant. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Cargill and details about who attacked the Women’s Tag Team Champion.