New Women’s Tag Team Champions crowned at WWE Payback
Sasha Banks & Bayley are no longer the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax defeated Banks & Bayley at Payback tonight to win the Women’s Tag Team titles. The finish of the match was Baszler submitting Bayley with the Kirifuda Clutch while using Banks’ arm to help with the move.
Leading into the finish, Baszler tagged herself in when Jax was sent into the ropes. She went to apply a Muta Lock on Banks. When Bayley tried to stop her, Baszler put Bayley in the Kirifuda Clutch while still having Banks’ legs tied up. Baszler dropped to the mat and Banks reached to try and break up the Kirifuda Clutch, but Baszler grabbed her arm and used it to apply more pressure on Bayley.
During her post-match interview with the new champions, Charly Caruso said Baszler & Jax might not like each other personally but killed it as a team. Jax celebrated and told Caruso to shut up. Baszler admitted they weren’t best friends but said it was time to celebrate.
Banks also lost the Raw Women’s Championship to Asuka at SummerSlam last week. The story was that Banks helped Bayley retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Asuka earlier in the night but Bayley wasn’t willing to make the same sacrifice later.
Baszler & Jax are the fifth team to hold the Women’s Tag Team titles since they were introduced last year. Banks & Bayley, The IIconics, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross, and Asuka & Kairi Sane are the previous champions. Banks & Bayley and Bliss & Cross have had two reigns with the titles.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.