Creative plans surrounding Fatal Influence have already begun to shift due to the crowd reactions the group has generated since arriving on SmackDown, according to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select.
Several people involved in the creative process have said that plans in the women’s division have been rearranged to feature Jacy Jayne more prominently following the group’s strong early performances. In her first few weeks on the main roster, Jayne has wrestled Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss.
Fatal Influence officially moved to SmackDown on April 24, interrupting a title match and immediately inserting themselves into the women’s division picture. The group consists of Jayne alongside Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid.
Jayne, 30, is a former two-time NXT Women’s Champion whose second reign lasted 137 days before ending at NXT Stand & Deliver. She also held the TNA Knockouts World Championship during a 2025 stint with that company. She formed Fatal Influence in July 2024 alongside Henley and Jazmyn Nyx. Reid later replaced Nyx in the group.
Shawn Michaels is not apologizing for putting the NXT Women’s Championship on Jacy Jayne, and nearly 280 days of hindsight has given him plenty of ammunition to defend the decision.
The WWE Hall of Famer and NXT Head of Creative joined Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat during WrestleMania 42 weekend in Las Vegas to discuss the booking philosophy behind one of NXT’s most criticized title changes in recent memory.
When Jayne defeated Stephanie Vaquer for the NXT Women’s Championship in May 2025 with help from her Fatal Influence stablemates, the backlash was immediate and loud. Michaels was not spared from it.
“I was the worst dude in the world when Jacy Jayne beat Stephanie Vaquer for the title,” Michaels told Rosenberg. “Worst decision in the world, dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Jayne held the title across two reigns spanning roughly 280 days before losing it to Lola Vice in a triple threat at Stand and Deliver on April 4. The length of that run, and what Jayne became during it, is Michaels’ answer to every critic.
“280-some odd days later, she is a complete superstar,” Michaels said. “I would argue that a lot of people when it came to Toxic Attraction, she was number three. And that is not the case these years later.”
He credited Jayne’s own self-awareness for the growth, suggesting the extended championship run served as the development tool she needed. “I have no doubt, and I’m sure Jacy would say the same, that at some point many of those years earlier, she felt she was ready then. She’s a more complete individual now. And we have to balance that.”
Michaels also used the moment to explain why NXT resists the pressure to reward rising talent too quickly, warning that modern wrestling audiences move on almost immediately when a title change does not land with the intended impact.
“It’s always kind of easy to go for the instant gratification. Sometimes that will work and be a positive thing,” Michaels said. “But my feeling is in today’s environment, they move on pretty quick. So you have to be very careful about when and where you do it.”
Jayne is now reportedly being considered for a main roster call-up following her Stand and Deliver loss, joining a list that includes Ethan Page, Ricky Saints, and Blake Monroe.
Fans had been wondering how and when the company will use the latest trademark filed earlier this week, but they didn’t have to wait very long. General Manager Robert Stone announced on the latest episode of the development show that NXT Revenge will be a two-week special beginning on April 14.
Several matches were then announced for the special, including a Last Woman Standing match between Sol Ruca and Zaria after the latter viciously attacked her former tag team partner on the April 7 show.
Jacy Jayne was also announced to be getting a rematch for the Women’s Title after dropping the belt to Lola Vice at the Stand & Deliver special this past weekend. Below is the confirmed lineup for the upcoming show:
Multiple broadcast blackouts interrupted WWE NXT: Stand & Deliver during the NXT Women’s Championship match after a wardrobe malfunction involving champion Jacy Jayne. The incident occurred during Jayne’s Triple Threat title defense against Lola Vice and Kendal Grey.
The live broadcast cut to black several times throughout the match, leaving viewers confused about the interruptions. The blackouts reportedly stemmed from a wardrobe malfunction during a sequence in which Grey had Jayne locked in an ankle submission, briefly exposing more than intended on camera.
Additional blackouts occurred in the closing moments due to further gear issues. Production cut away multiple times to protect the broadcast from showing the malfunction.
Despite the technical difficulties, the match continued with Jayne controlling key stretches and playing to the camera. At one point during the bout, “The Rockstar” told critics to “read it and weep” while showcasing why she entered as champion.
The title match followed a controversial No. 1 contender’s bout the previous week that left head of creative Shawn Michaels questioning the outcome. Jayne’s reign as champion ended at Stand & Deliver with Vice becoming the new titleholder.
