WWE Officials Surprised by Huge 'Friday Night SmackDown' Change
The aftermath of "WrestleMania 41" continued on the blue brand, and there were a few noteworthy moments on the show. Aleister Black made his return to WWE, taking The Miz out with Black Mass. There was also a triple threat tag team TLC match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, which garnered heavy praise from experts.
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There was also one surprising moment on the show that featured a huge title change. Chelsea Green lost the WWE Women's United States Championship to Zelina Vega in an upset. It's one of the more stunning title changes under the creative watch of Paul "Triple H" Levesque, given how popular Green has become.
Chelsea Green delivers a knee strike to Zelina Vega on Friday's episode of "WWE SmackDown."(via WWE)
PWInsider reports that the title change even caught WWE officials off guard. It was mentioned in the report that Vega's title win was kept under wraps. Many backstage didn't know the championship would change hands until the match played out on "SmackDown."
Many wonder if this title reign will be short-lived for Vega or if Green is moving up on the card. WWE recently gave Green her own faction, The Secret Hervice. WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton will be seeking new challengers, and Green would fit the bill if she's ultimately elevated on WWE programming. For now, it appears Stratton's next challenger will be Nia Jax.
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It won't be long to find out which direction Green is headed in now that she is without the WWE Women's United States Championship. Green became the inaugural champion by defeating Michin on the Dec. 14, 2024 episode of "WWE Saturday Night's Main Event." Her reign lasted over 130 days.
Related: Exclusive: AEW Star Bobby Lashley Reveals Goals Before Retiring, Calls MJF a 'Snake'
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