Why Tiffany Stratton qualified for the WWE Money in the Bank ladder match over Tatum Paxley & Candice LeRae

WWE

Following the October 2 edition of WWE SmackDown, we now know every competitor who is set to compete in the upcoming women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

Tiffany Stratton, Tatum Paxley and Candice LeRae faced off during Friday Night SmackDown to determine who’d be joining Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, Jacy Jayne, Roxanne Perez and Lash Legend on October 10.

In the closing moments of the bout, Tatum Paxley hit Candice LeRae with a 450 splash. Before the referee could complete the count, Tiffany Stratton broke the pin with a Prettiest Moonsault Ever, and pinned LeRae to punch her ticket for Money in the Bank.

Tiffany Stratton’s victory was a surprise to some, with her inclusion in the Money in the Bank ladder match breaking an interesting pattern.

Looking at the latest qualifying star next to the others who earned their way into the match, there has been some debate as to why Tiffany Stratton was added to the match, especially over one of the other competitors in her qualifier in particular.

Impressive resume

Tiffany Stratton has experience in Money in the Bank bouts, winning the 2024 Money in the Bank ladder match, defeating Chelsea Green, IYO SKY, Lyra Valkyria, Naomi and Zoey Stark to walk away with the briefcase.

She cashed in her contract on the January 3, 2025 SmackDown episode and pinned Nia Jax to win the WWE Women’s Championship.

Stratton held this title for 301 days, defending her gold against the likes of Charlotte Flair, Bayney and even Trish Stratus, ahead of dropping the championship to Jade Cargill that November at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Tiffany Stratton has held WWE gold since then, reigning with the Women’s US Championship for 112 days earlier this year.

Odd one out

The women’s Money in the Bank ladder match will have a big focus on the future of the future of that division’s main event scene, with the match to feature numerous rising stars.

Prior to October 2, every competitor who had qualified for the match had joined the WWE main roster either this year, or last year in 2025.

Roxanne Perez was previously the longest-tenured main roster star in the match, having joined Monday Night Raw in May 2025. This was ahead of Lash Legend officially joining forces with Nia Jax that November.

Every other star prior to this week’s SmackDown had made their Raw or SmackDown debuts in 2026, with Sol Ruca and Jacy Jayne officially being called up following WrestleMania 42. Sol Ruca became a mainstay on the red brand, while Jayne signed with SmackDown.

Lola Vice is the latest star from this lineup to be brought up to the main roster, defeating Raquel Rodriguez and Kelani Jordan in her Raw debut to qualify for the upcoming ladder match.

Tiffany Stratton is now the most experienced name in this match in terms of main roster tenure, having joined SmackDown in 2024. “Tiffy Time” is also the only competitor in the lineup to have previously won the Money in the Bank ladder match, and the only former world title holder.

Why Tiffany Stratton over Tatum Paxley?

With a pattern clearly emerging in the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match ahead of October 2, many had predicted that Tatum Paxley would be the last to qualify.

With Tiffany Stratton instead punching her ticket, to some, it feels like Stratton was chosen for the match over Paxley, but it’s worth remembering that Stratton was chosen over everyone on the roster who didn’t qualify, not just the rising star.

So why Stratton? One explanation could be that she’s the most experienced name who still somewhat fits WWE’s remit for the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

While Tiffany Stratton didn’t make her main roster debut in the last two years, she’s only a year and some change more senior than Roxanne Perez in terms of main roster runs.

Many see her previous WWE Women’s Championship and Women’s US Title reigns as reasons why Stratton doesn’t need to be in the Money in the Bank ladder match, but these could be reasons why the company did want her in the bout.

From a marketing and advertising perspective, it makes sense for WWE to want to include recognizable faces on the poster, and Stratton has established herself as one of the top names in the blue brand’s women’s division over the past few years.

Stratton also being in the match gives the likes of Sol Ruca and Lola Vice more opportunities to mix it up with former world champions, giving them chances to prove themselves even further.

While a field of competitors who had never won a world title would be many’s preference for the Money in the Bank ladder match – myself included – Tiffany Stratton’s inclusion is actually a net positive when you look at the bigger picture.

It will be interesting to see who walks out with the briefcase on October 10, when Money in the Bank emanates from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

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• Money in the Bank
• Tiffany Stratton
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