The Rise and Fall of WWE's Tiffany Stratton

At Crown Jewel, WWE will attempt to recapture some of the momentum Tiffany Stratton left Elimination Chamber with last February.

2025 has been such a turbulent year for The Buff Barbie that it's easy to forget she garnered one of the loudest reactions during the company's last trip to Perth, Western Australia. It was such an overwhelming response that most of us rightfully predicted the 26-year-old would be one of the most promising NXT call-ups in recent memory.

Now, it's hard to reconcile the initial groundswell of support following Stratton's jump to the main roster with the apathy her current women's championship reign has generated. Although wrestling fans are notoriously fickle, this run grew stale faster than anyone could've expected.

Considering the amount of fanfare she has received, it would be difficult for most viewers even to pinpoint what went wrong. There were multiple factors, and the scuttlebutt surrounding the finish of the main event of the Sept. 26 episode of SmackDown is just the latest incident.

However, how much of this is merely the fans' penchant for lifting someone, and just as quickly tearing them down when they don't live up to expectations? It's way too soon to write off such a talented young star, but it will be interesting to see if she can salvage such a tumultuous start on the main roster.

An Encouraging Start

Even though there have been some missteps, it would be inaccurate to say that WWE hasn't made a concerted effort to push Stratton as the next big star in the women's division. The company has given her countless opportunities and put her in a position to succeed.

To that end, her 2024 Money in the Bank win and subsequent cash-in during the Jan. 3 edition of SmackDown were an immediate step in the right direction. In fact, her uneasy alliance with Nia Jax and eventual face turn were handled well.

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It was a refreshing change of pace because so many of the other women who secured the Money in the Bank briefcase didn't partake in such a beneficial, long-term storyline. The slow burn allowed Stratton to execute one of the best cash-ins in recent memory.

As the women's champion, WWE also paired her with high-profile matches against Charlotte Flair and Trish Stratus. Despite the results, a WrestleMania feud with one of the company's stalwarts was a glowing testament to how much the creative regime believes in her.

Even more, the emerging superstar successfully defended her title against Flair at The Showcase of the Immortals. Rhea Ripley didn't even defeat The Queen in her first appearance at the event, which hindered her initial push in 2020.

A Pedestrian Follow-Up

WWE learned its lesson this time, and it was the right outcome. Of course, this makes it even more confounding that she remained in the same matchups for so long after such a statement win at WrestleMania 41.

You couldn't have asked for a better scenario, as The Buff Barbie cited her as an inspiration to become a professional wrestler. Unfortunately, the weeks leading up to their showdown at Allegiant Stadium were a disaster, and the rookie took the brunt of the blame for their salacious back-and-forth in front of the Chicago crowd on Apr. 4.

The segment even became the subject of an episode of WWE: Unreal, where she was seemingly asked to apologize for going off script. Her personal jabs about Flair's divorce also didn't age well with many fans after The Players' Tribune article humanized the second-generation superstar.

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Even worse, their match didn't stamp Stratton like it should have because it didn't live up to the quality we've come to expect from Flair at the iconic event. Similarly, Jax was instrumental in her face turn, but the two remained linked for way too long.

Six of her nine title defenses have involved Jax or Jade Cargill. It's no wonder many viewers got bored with this 272-day reign, and their disinterest made excusable mistakes in the ring even more glaring.

Think about it. We're more prone to call out plot holes and nitpick about a movie we're not enjoying. This run is surprisingly underwhelming, and it has made some of her biggest supporters question whether she was ready for such a sustained push.

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The miscue from her last match with Jax and Cargill looked bad, but it would've been a blip on the radar if these concerns weren't growing more prevalent. Stratton also hasn't appeared nearly as confident and undeniable as she did as a heel.

It's certainly not a terrible idea to pit her against another auspicious newcomer, like Stephanie Vaquer, and hope that the response in Perth reminds fans why WWE invested in her. However, Stratton could use a fresh start without the women's title and some new opponents.

The great thing about pro wrestling is that everyone loves a compelling comeback story, and the situation isn't dire enough to make us believe she can never recover from this. We're seeing many of her growing pains in real time, but there is no evidence that she can't mature from this experience.