8 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (9 May - Results & Review)

6. Jade Cargill’s Best Match Yet

Nia Jax Jade Cargill
WWE.com

There would've been chortling and mirth had anyone suggested that Nia Jax would be the one to work Jade Cargill's best WWE singles match ahead of Friday's edition of SmackDown. Chortling and mirth, we say! Well, it happened, and Nia deserves a ton of credit for guiding Jade through and ensuring their bout didn't turn into a car crash of miscommunication/botched powerhouse spots.

It was astonishing how slick and watchable the match was from start to finish. This effort vs. Nia is undoubtedly one Cargill should be proud of - she showed vast improvements over some earlier awkwardness when tagging with Bianca Belair. That duo clearly helped bed Jade in and keep her learning. Now, she's putting everything she did learn into practice.

The back and forth match ended when Naomi attacked Tiffany Stratton at ringside. That distracted Cargill from the task at hand, and it left her ripe for the pickings for Nia's squash finisher. Honestly, it'd be a surprise if WWE went with Jax challenging Tiffany solo again long term, so let's see how this shakes out. Both Jade and Naomi are in the mix too, as they should be.

There's something to be said for how good Nia has been since returning to WWE in 2023. Her critics likely hate hearing about it, but she's been a different woman. Jax's matches aren't blighted by dangerous drops or clumsy strikes any longer, but she still carries an edge and gets booming "YOU CAN'T WRESTLE" chants from live crowds intent on trolling her.

In your face, Ohio. This was class.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.