Chelsea Green Defends 'WWE Locker Room Leader' Nia Jax after SmackDown botch

Both Green and Jax returned to the WWE at the 2023 Royal Rumble, having been released in 2021. Since Jax’s full-time return in September 2023, she and Green have shared a locker room on Raw and SmackDown, switching brands together during the 2024 WWE Draft.

Green recognises the value of the 41-year-old as a veteran presence and has taken issue with the online criticism of Jax after the botched SmackDown main event.

The Incident

The triple threat match between Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill, and Jax ended with a botched finish as referee Daphanie LaShaunn mistakenly counted to two instead of three. The incident has divided opinion amongst fans regarding who deserves the blame.

Online Fans seem to believe that Jax is the main culprit since she failed to kick out. She also seemingly injured Cargill during a steel steps spot, causing her to bleed profusely. That spot caused a similar injury to Kairi Sane five years prior at the hands of Jax. However, both could have done better to protect themselves.

Whilst Jax does share a portion of the blame for the incident, both Stratton and LaShaunn should also be held accountable. Stratton failed to break up Cargill’s initial pinfall in time, causing Jax to kick out. She then proceeded to cover Jax instead of immediately hitting the Prettiest Moonsault Ever.

LaShaunn’s mistake was evident as she called a two-count despite no kick-out taking place. Phantom kick-outs have become frequent under the Triple H regime. However, this mistake seems to have attracted the most negative attention, potentially due to Jax’s involvement.

LaShaunn commented on the botch through Instagram stories. “I see all the love, I’m just human, but I can promise that I strive always to be better, which will forever be my goal as long as I’m on this journey. I love this just like y’all. That I can swear to you.”

Jax’s Past Reputation Continues to Haunt Her

Unfortunately for Jax, she developed an unfair reputation for being an unsafe worker during her first stint in WWE. She has, however, been a very serviceable performer and has improved tremendously since her return in 2023.

Upon her return, Jax acted as a formidable opponent for Rhea Ripley. Their rivalry culminated in a win for the Eradicator in her home country of Australia at Elimination Chamber. Her performances subsequently earned her a Queen of the Ring win and a lengthy run as WWE Women’s Champion.

One mistake has ruined all the goodwill she has earned with fans over the past two years. A majority of online criticism towards Jax regarding the main event finish is heavily unwarranted. A lot of the hateful comments spewed online are inexcusable.

Whilst the mistake did ruin the immersion of the triple threat main event for fans, the criticism and hatred are overblown. Some of these comments may be rooted in misogyny, as neither Damian Priest nor Jasper Troy has received the online hate that Jax has.

Both Priest and Troy have committed the same mistake as Jax within the past 15 months. Priest failed to kick out of a Falcon Arrow from Seth Rollins at Money in the Bank 2024. Troy, on the other hand, didn’t kick out of a “Fall from Grace” during his NXT Championship match with Oba Femi.

Whilst fan opinions should be taken with a grain of salt, hate-filled comments have no place in pro-wrestling discourse. Both Chelsea Green and Bishop Dyer should be commended for their support for the Irresistible Force.