00:02The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it's for the Women's United States Championship.
00:11Introducing first, from Pryor Lake, Minnesota, she is the Women's United States Champion, Tiffany Stratton!
00:24Now, so many feel that it's so great to see Stratton back with gold around her waist.
00:30Of course, the past year has been such a test from on top of the world as a Women's Champion,
00:35the struggles of defeat and injury, and working her way back to capture this U.S. Championship.
00:41And after a procedure that has her on the men, Chelsea Green offered this to Tiffany.
00:47Chelsea Green.
00:48Get well soon, Chelsea Green. Do a proper job, Joe Test. Come on.
00:52Two weeks as the U.S. Champion.
01:07Introducing the challenges, accompanied by Julia, from Sioux City, Iowa, Kiana James!
01:18Unique dynamic with Kiana James and Julia.
01:23Julia, who, of course, expected the rematch.
01:26It was Tiffany who chose Kiana instead to have this match.
01:31And I understand it from Julia's perspective.
01:34She was the former champion two times, and she is certainly, in my view, owed a rematch.
01:40However, let's sing the praises of Kiana James for a minute.
01:45A woman who has broken out huge over the past several months.
01:48Outstanding run in the Royal Rumble match.
01:51And indeed, inside the Elimination Chamber now gets an opportunity to win her first slice of singles gold here on
02:00SmackDown.
02:01Yep.
02:01First attempt to win this Women's United States Championship.
02:05Of course, if there's no number one contender, it was Tiffany Stratton Wade, who said,
02:10I respect what Kiana James has done, how she's come around, and that was her choice for this title defense.
02:17As this match is presented by Chime, America's number one choice for banking.
02:22Yeah, and let me tell you right now, there is a disparity in resumes between these two women in the
02:27ring.
02:27But a lot of people over the past several months have made a mistake of overlooking Kiana James.
02:34And that has come back to haunt them.
02:36And I will include the likes of Charlotte Flair in that list.
02:39A woman that Kiana James did beat prior to the Elimination Chamber.
02:44Well, Stratton with an offensive attack after showing off the athleticism.
02:48You mentioned the resumes.
02:50Kiana James, this is just her sixth title match of any kind in her career.
02:54Meanwhile, of course, Tiffany, a former NXT Women's Champion, a WWE Women's Champion,
02:59and now her first reign as the U.S. Champion.
03:03Well, Tiffany's ace up her sleeve has always been her supreme athleticism,
03:08but pretty damn close to that is the athleticism of Kiana James.
03:12And you can combine that with the mega brain of Kiana James.
03:16That has now given Kiana a major upper hand in this match.
03:21Oh, just railing on that left leg.
03:23And again, what a smart strategy by Kiana James to target that leg.
03:47See Tiffany Stratton reaching for her left leg.
03:51It was Kiana James who smashed the outside of that knee to the post,
03:56and then immediately Wade said,
03:57I'm going to take advantage and go with the inside of the knee as well.
04:00So I talked about just before that happened Tiffany's big advantage over pretty much every opponent she ever has.
04:07It's the athleticism, the kind of athleticism that took her to the Olympic level gymnast team for the United States.
04:15Now, how do you neutralize that?
04:17You take out a leg.
04:18Let's see how well Tiffany Stratton can move with a busted leg.
04:22And if she can't move that well, how the hell can she beat Kiana James?
04:27And you're right, just an amazing strategy right off the bat from this smart woman, Kiana James.
04:34And you can see how it has slowed the pace of the match to the pace that's more comfortable for
04:40Kiana James
04:41to take advantage of the physicality as she drives all her body weight down on that left knee as well.
04:47And it's important when you do get that advantage to double down on those attacks.
04:53You have to be relentless and remorseless if you are going to win gold at this level.
05:01Julia on the outside, she's playing it poker face, but she has to be impressed with this display so far
05:06from Kiana James.
05:08I'll tell you right now, there's a ton of resiliency inside Tiffany Stratton.
05:12We've certainly seen that many times before.
05:28I'm just in complete control at this stage of the match, just mere minutes into this.
05:34It is rare in the career of Tiffany Stratton that I have seen her such an underdog so early in
05:40a match.
05:41James is utilizing all her body weight.
05:43And now the cover, hook in the leg, trying to win the U.S. Championship.
05:47Women's United States Championship match to open up Friday Night SmackDown
05:51after we heard from a very fired up Jacob Batu the night before Backlash.
05:56And here's where Kiana James needs to be a little careful.
05:59You see that frustration starting to come out now.
06:02Perhaps not used to women the caliber of Tiffany Stratton
06:07and the kind of toughness and durability that they have.
06:10And Kiana expected to be in winner's enclosure by now.
06:18He's got to take a deep breath, refocus.
06:24And not make any unforced errors here, Kiana.
06:48Kiana James is fighting this match on her terms,
06:52going for the Women's United States Championship
06:54against the title holder Tiffany Stratton.
06:57And she's been going about it very strategically.
07:00And that is to target the left leg,
07:03specifically the left knee of Stratton.
07:07This half Boston crowd doing a hell of a lot of damage here.
07:11Julia's backing off right there when...
07:15Sent to the outside.
07:17There we go, the fix apparently in.
07:19And behind the referee's back.
07:22Julia chooses not to do anything.
07:23Yeah, well, it chooses.
07:25It's like miscommunication there, perhaps.
07:28I think Kiana apparently hoping for a cheap shot behind the ref's back.
07:36Of course, just a couple weeks ago,
07:38this championship was Julia's.
07:41And now, look at Tiffany Stratton.
07:44As Kiana James just took a moment
07:46to have a conversation with Julia.
07:48And in doing so,
07:50Stratton rallies back.
07:52Yeah, you simply cannot give that amount of breathing room
07:55to someone like Tiffany Stratton.
07:57My God!
07:59Handspring stunner.
08:01And in the basement dropkick.
08:05And somehow, James survives it.
08:08Yeah, that's championship caliber right there.
08:11Give her a small window and completely rejuvenated here
08:15was Tiffany Stratton, blocking out the pain in that left leg
08:19and almost scoring the victory.
08:21But now it's Kiana's turn, perhaps,
08:24to fight from underneath as Julia continues to lock up.
08:28Kiana James, who was in control for the majority of this match.
08:32And all of a sudden, Tiffany rallies back.
08:34Nice movement there from Tiffany Stratton,
08:37but not the second time.
08:40Well, this is all Kiana James now.
08:43What a matchup of athleticism between James and Stratton.
08:47Anything you can do, I can do better, Tiffy.
08:50And that's exactly what is happening here.
08:53Could we have a new Women's U.S. Champ?
08:55The modified Death Valley driver there,
08:58almost scoring the winner.
08:59And you've got to be impressed by this expanding playbook of Kiana James.
09:05You saw a glimpse of the steely determination in the eyes
09:08and facial expression of Tiffany Stratton.
09:10Well, you know how much this would do for the career of Kiana James
09:13if she could pin this woman and grab gold here,
09:16becoming the new United States champ.
09:19Put herself on a rocket ship to the very top.
09:23Driving her shoulder right into Stratton.
09:28Oh, man!
09:30Did she ever smash that left shoulder into the post?
09:33What a hell of a collision.
09:35And now, Tawana hyperwoman up is Julia,
09:38but it may be for nothing here.
09:40Wait up!
09:41The ref dealing with Julia.
09:42Meanwhile, there's a roll-up.
09:43There's a roll-up, and the ref is dealing with Julia.
09:46Once again, this time...
09:50The plan was gold card.
09:53Stratton takes care of that.
09:54And a spinning elbow.
09:58Rolling senton in the target zone.
10:03P-M-E!
10:06One, two, three!
10:10Here is your winner, and still, women's United States champion, Tiffany Stratton!
10:20One prettiest moonsault ever, and raising that women's U.S. championship high into the air here in Jacksonville.
10:28Yeah, one mistake is all it takes against someone the caliber of Tiffany Stratton.
10:33But clearly, Julia and Keanu James just not on the same page when it came to the plan there.
10:39And that is what has cost Keanu James tonight.
10:49They're going to have some talking to do.
10:50Should I explain the nurtage?
10:50So walize then, and again, if when we're doing the aviationое thing, what, it happens next time.
10:50Did you even have to rid bang a little bit withror?
10:51Are you going to have to ride?
10:51He's going to have to ride a little happily?
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