Former NXT champion debuts on WWE SmackDown

WWE’s developmental brand has lost one of its most popular stars, but NXT’s loss is SmackDown’s gain.

Tatum Paxley, who has held both the NXT Women’s Championship and NXT Women’s North American Championship, debuted on SmackDown on Friday night, standing beside Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss in their feud with Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab.

Flair was wrestling Cargill in the show’s main event. After Michin and B-Fab interfered, Bliss made her entrance, in street clothes and with her left arm in a large brace. It was her first appearance since July, when Cargill had allegedly broken her arm. She stopped halfway down the aisle and displayed Lily, her doll.

At that point the lights in the arena went out. When they returned, Paxley was standing on the top rope. (Paxley was known to play with dolls herself during her time in NXT.) She proceeded to wipe out Michin and B-Fab with a flying crossbody to the floor. 

Flair went on to pin Cargill with a natural selection off the top rope. Flair, Bliss, and Paxley then celebrated together in the ring to close the show. 

Paxley, 29, has a background in powerlifting, winning USA Powerlifting championships in 2019 and 2021. 

She signed with WWE in 2021 and debuted on NXT in January of 2022. She won the NXT Women’s Championship from Jacy Jayne in October of 2025, then lost the title back to her a month later after she was betrayed by Izzi Dame. 

Paxley would get her revenge on Dame, defeating her to win the NXT Women’s North American Championship at Vengeance Day this past March. She held that title until June, when she lost it to Zaria. 

Paxley and Stephanie Vaquer are the only wrestlers to hold both the NXT Women’s Championship and the NXT Women’s North American Championship. 

Full SmackDown results are available here.