As goes Alexa Bliss, so goes Nikki Cross. And as of Monday night, that’s no longer rhetorical: Following a victory over Bayley in a Beat the Clock Challenge with the stipulation for Bayley vs. Bliss at stake, The Twisted Sister made a selection that could cement their alliance in stone. As a demonstration of her loyalty to Bliss, Cross —who dispatched Dana Brooke with plenty of time to spare against Bayley's 4:32 win over Sarah Logan — selected a 2-on-1 Handicap Match as the stipulation, meaning Bayley will be defending her title against both women at once.

Her advice that Bayley find a loyal friend to slap some sense into her didn’t exactly fall on receptive ears, as the champion slapped Cross in the face, dropped her with the Bayley-to-Belly and drilled a flying elbow into her sternum. Clearly, if Alexa Bliss has manipulated Nikki Cross, she’s too far gone to save. And if she hasn’t manipulated her, Bayley has two motivated opponents to deal with. Either way, the time for talk has ended.

The SmackDown Women’s Champion is unfazed after learning she will defend her title against both Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross in a Handicap Match at WWE Extreme Rules.