Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax defied tradition last week when she challenged Ronda Rousey to a title bout at WWE Money in the Bank — an unusual instance of a titleholder selecting her own next woman up. And during their contract signing, Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon used the opportunity get to the bottom of this very unusual championship situation.
Stephanie didn’t hesitate to heighten the tension as much as possible between champion and challenger, dredging up all manner of personal history as she laid out the possible stakes and motivations for Jax and Rousey. But the Commissioner ended up hitting the nail on the head in one regard: Jax, who’s fed up with accusations of laziness, had picked Rousey because she wanted to make a name for herself at the expense of The Baddest Woman on the Planet. Rousey responded calmly enough, offering Nia a sportsmanlike handshake. Though, given her promise to take Jax’s title and arm, clearly that sportsmanship hits its expiration date on June 17.