Tonight’s WWE SmackDown focused quite a bit on the build to Evolution 2, as two matches were set for the card by the end of the episode, while other matches were teased or moved forward in some form or fashion. While there’s a lot to talk about, there’s one match in particular I’m going to focus on here, and that’s because the winner of that match just earned a shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. That’s important in itself, but it’s even more important since this team seems like a true contender for those Titles, and they should absolutely win them when Evolution 2 finally arrives.
What Went Down
The contenders in question are Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, who have been interacting with each other quite a bit over the last few weeks. Granted, those interactions weren’t exactly positive in the beginning, but things started to shift a bit when Bliss got the better of Flair in the Night of Champions tournament. They continued to collide in backstage segments, and that eventually led to tonight’s SmackDown and a key conversation with Nick Aldis.
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That’s where Aldis said that Flair should consider working with Bliss to go after the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Flair ended up coming around to the idea, and they set about attempting to take down Michin and B-Fab and Chelsea Green’s Secret Hervice of Piper Niven and Alba Fyre for a chance to take those Titles at Evolution 2. Despite some rocky moments, Flair and Bliss started to gel a bit as the match went on, though Flair then let her ego take charge.
Bliss knocked Fyre down from the top rope while outside of the ring, which then allowed Flair to hit a moonsault on both superstars. Before she hit that move, Flair then patted Bliss on the head in a condescending taunt, and then did it again right after. Flair hit the moonsault on both stars but then had to go to the ropes to deal with Green, who had gotten on top of the apron and was yelling at Flair and the referee.
Flair knocked her down with a big kick to the head, but behind her it was revealed that when she patted Bliss on the head that was in effect a tag, making Bliss the active person for their team. As Flair celebrated with the crowd by the ropes, Bliss hit Twisted Bliss on both superstars and then pinned Fyre for the win as Flair watched on. Flair initially looked frustrated, but then she ran up to Bliss and hugged her, though it was only a brief hug before she stepped back.
Why They Should Win
Now Bliss and Flair are the first team to compete against Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at Evolution 2, and there will be two other teams competing in the match, including one from Monday Night Raw and one from NXT. While those haven’t been decided yet, it’s difficult not to put Bliss and Flair in the discussion of potential winners, and for me, they are the team that should emerge as the victors.
In a matter of weeks, WWE has turned this small mostly backstage segment storyline into one of the show’s most compelling stories. Fans were clamoring for Bliss to have a major story and get featured on TV, and a run with the Women’s Tag Team Titles would be a perfect way to do that across all three brands, something that WWE has not in any way taken advantage of as much as it could have over the past year. That gets Bliss on TV across all of the shows more often, but it also helps Flair immensely.
Flair returned in a high-profile spot at the Royal Rumble, but what’s happened after that return has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. While there were some great moments, the feud with Tiffany Stratton had some rough patches, and it doesn’t feel like the right time to run that back. Pairing with Bliss feels like a really fresh direction for Flair, but it also allows her a chance to really win over fans as a genuine babyface over time, especially if this team sticks around for a bit. Then if she wants to, she could turn on Bliss and be an even bigger villain, so regardless of which direction she wants to go, this pairing and story could be a benefit.
The other big reason this makes sense is the unfortunate nature of injuries and adapting on the fly. The Women’s Tag Team Titles have been a part of the overarching Judgement Day story and have been in the possession of Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. When they won the Titles back from Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria, it was thought they would hold them for a while, but after Morgan was injured, changes in plans had to be made. That led to the recent revelation that Roxanne Perez would step in as the new Tag Team Champion alongside Rodriguez, but they would have to defend their Titles at Evolution as a result.
While having Perez and Rodriguez retain is absolutely possible and could be interesting given how Perez is solidifying her ties within the group, that story could continue without the Titles and even utilize them losing the Titles in an interesting way, and it would all lead to Morgan’s eventual return for a payoff.
Having two superstars of Bliss and Flair’s stature holding the Titles is a big deal, and if WWE actually maximizes the potential those Titles hold, this could be a truly great run and the start of a promising new era for these Championships. Plus, you get to build to the inevitable feud between Bliss and Flair, which would surely deliver as well, especially if you give them a prominent run. Those are my reasons, and while we wait to see if they actually win, you can find the updated Evolution 2 card below.
WWE Evolution 2
WWE Women’s World Championship Match: IYO SKY (C) vs. Rhea Ripley
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (C) vs. Trish Stratus
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships Fatal 4-Way Match: Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair vs. TBD vs. TBD
NXT Women’s Championship Match: Jacy Jayne (C) vs. Jordynne Grace
No Holds Barred Match: Naomi vs. Jade Cargill
Battle Royal For Women’s Title Match
Evolution airs on Peacock and Netflix internationally on Sunday, July 13th at 7 PM EST.
Are you excited for Evolution, and do you think Bliss and Flair should win the Tag Team Championships? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
