For as much as I wanted Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair to win the tag team championships, I really wish it didn’t have to be in the manner it happened at Backlash. I thought the entire match against the Kabuki Warriors was incredibly sloppy. It started off at one point, where I honestly thought I was being too critical, where Cargill seemed to be a bit off from where she was supposed to be standing in the ring, and when Kairi Sane went to hit her, Cargill seemed to blatantly move into place. But, sadly, the sloppiness of the match continued throughout the bout and I wasn’t the only one at WINC or even in my own home to notice it. 

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I am such a huge fan of Cargill (and Belair, of course), but this is what I was afraid of for her, after reading rumors online that she was having trouble remembering spots. Cargill was known more for quicker matches during her impressive win streak in AEW, so this was definitely one of her lengthier matches. Sane and Asuka are formidable opponents, but Cargill is just so much bigger than both of the Kabuki Warriors, and for whatever reason, she didn’t seem as impressive as she has in other matches. It didn’t seem like that match was produced in quite the right way for Belair to cover for Cargill in the event of a mistake, which could be part of the problem. The entire vibe of the match, as the kids say, was off.

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However, I don’t entirely blame Cargill for being newer to WWE for all the sloppiness of the match. I honestly think it had a bit to do with the officiating. There was some weirdness, where the referee yelled to Sane that she wasn’t the legal woman and broke up a pin. However, Asuka climbed from the floor, back to the Kabuki Warriors’ corner, and even grabbed the tag rope. She went as far as tagging herself in. Maybe I missed something in that segment of the match, but I thought it was extremely awkward. 

I did enjoy the ending of the match, and Belair and Cargill looked strong as a team, stacking the Kabuki Warriors for the win after a Jaded and then a KOD. But, I think Cargill should have got the pin if WWE really want to cement her as a big deal, like they’ve been trying extremely hard to do. Having Cargill get the pin instead of multiple-time women’s champion Belair could have been fuel for a potential tag team break-up down the line, as well, possibly starting some kind of storyline where Cargill stole Belair’s thunder from the beginning.

I feel like I need to reiterate that I’m EXTREMELY happy that Cargill and Belair are champions, but this match made me extremely nervous for them moving forward. Maybe it was jet lag, or just an off night, and the new champions can get right back on their feet and start crushing it across all brands.

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Written by Daisy Ruth