Just two days ago, I was passing along a story that Executive Director Paul Heyman had moved the Fatal Fourway for the Women’s Tag Team Championship from SummerSlam to Monday Night Raw, with the idea that it would get get more time and attention on that show than the crowded SummerSlam card. Late in the game, however, even as the SummerSlam Kickoff Show was winding up, it was announced that the Women’s Tag Titles would be defended tonight after all, albeit on the Kickoff Show, with new champions Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross defending against former champions the IIconics.
While it’s a bit surprising to see this sudden turnaround, the two stories aren’t actually contradictory when you think about it. If the plan was to have Bliss and Cross win the belts, it pretty much had to be a Fatal Four-Way, since the Kabuki Warriors and Fire & Desire both had stronger claims to a title shot. But now that they have the belts, it was easier to add a two-team defense that wouldn’t need as much time to tell its story.
Sure enough the match, which came last on the Kickoff Show, wasn’t terribly long, but it was solid. The IIconics were as dastardly as ever, and Alexa Bliss is really stepping up her in-ring work to stand alongside Nikki Cross. They also had amazing ring gear, with Alexa’s Buzz Lightyear outfit as the clear standout. Nikki Cross wasn’t Woody, but she did have bright green accents in her outfit that resonated with the highlights on Alexa’s gear. Unsurprisingly, the new champions retained their belts, with Nikki playing the face in peril, which enabled Alexa to be the hero we didn’t know she could be.
