3 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (17 July - Results & Review)
2. Jacy Jayne/Fatal Influence Need More
Things got off to a top start for Fatal Influence on WWE's main roster when they were called up in late-April. Initially, it seemed like Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid would become real power players on SmackDown, but backstage interest in pushing them to the moon has lessened with each passing month. Now, unless they win the tag belts from Paige and Brie Bella at SNME, the faction is in trouble.
Reid and Henley will presumably come out on top of that match in MSG, which will go some way to easing concerns. However, Jacy losing to Tiffany Stratton in this SummerSlam ladder match qualifier is a real knock on the group's efforts. Jayne being beneath a pretty lifeless babyface version of Stratton isn’t a great sign for her, is it? Fatal Influence as a whole has cooled off just a little too much.
Yeah, it feels like Jayne should’ve won here to breathe some fresh life into the hunt for Rhea’s title. She represents something totally fresh compared to 'Tiffy Time' (which is creaking and playing before diminishing returns the longer Stratton remains baby), and that should've been taken into account.
Win here then seize the tag belts on Saturday and Jacy could've boasted about Influence's impact. As it stands, she'll be little more than a ringside pest for Henley and Reid against Paige and Bella. Lord only knows what happens to the trio if they don't come out on top in the Garden as predicted.
Fatal right enough.