Published: Aug 11, 2026 by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: Aug 11, 2026 by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
WWE
A former WWE Raw Women’s Champion has shared an insight into her Money in the Bank win and subsequent cash-in for the title.
Known at the time as Nikki A.S.H, the star would win the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match at the titular PLE back in 2021, securing a shot at a women’s championship.
The shot would come the following night on WWE Raw, with Nikki A.S.H. defeating Charlotte Flair to become WWE Raw Women’s Champion.
Speaking on the subject of the journey from Money in the Bank to the title win, the star now known as Nikki Storm would address all that went down during an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
Asked if she knew that the Nikki A.S.H. character had “main event” potential, the former WWE star would say:
“It was what I’d built my career towards. I always wanted to be that person for the company. I wanted to be the top girl.
“After winning Money in the Bank and after cashing in, leading up to SummerSlam, I did the triple threat with Charlotte and Rhea (Ripley).
“I was so blessed because that time leading up to SummerSlam, I was doing all the press interviews, I was doing all the media interviews, and it was great. It was great preparation. I look at everything like a learning experience. So that month, you’ve got me doing all the interviews and doing all the major newspapers in Britain. First of all, I thought, what a compliment! The one month before one of the big four, right? WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series. 60,000 people in that arena at SummerSlam. So what a compliment that the company saw something in me to give me that ball and trust me to present the company as the top woman, and that’s something I always wanted and I worked towards.
“Getting to do that, carry out those responsibilities, and I feel like I did myself proud. I did the company proud, and I made my family proud. And to me, that’s the most important thing. As long as I’m making myself proud and my family proud, that’s key.”
Cross would also reveal how she found out she was going to be winning the ladder match, which also featured Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Liv Morgan, Naomi, Natalya, Tamina & Zelina Vega, stating:
“So I didn’t know I was winning Money in the Bank until we got to the rehearsal, and even then, I didn’t know. It wasn’t until the producer was like, ‘Okay, Nikki’s going to win this.’
“You just don’t want to have a big reaction in that moment because you’re so happy, but you also realize that there’s five other girls that aren’t getting that, so you want to be very respectful of your peers and your co-workers and your colleagues. But I also want people to know, hey, I’m really happy about this. But again, don’t rub it in people’s faces. I always want to try and be empathetic and respectful, and everyone was happy for me.
“We do the match, and I just thought maybe I’m gonna have a bit of a run with it. They’re gonna have me do fun stuff as a superhero with the briefcase.
“I get there to Raw the next day, I don’t think anything’s happening. There’s nothing in the script. So I’m like, oh, maybe I’m just doing something on social media. Maybe I’ll just film something for digital. Maybe I’m just doing a quick interview. Then all of a sudden, a writer comes up to me and they’re like, ‘Okay, Vince (McMahon) wants to see you in his office.’ I’m like, the seed starts to form. No way they’re going to do a cash-in the next night, no way. Okay, let’s just see how it goes. Let’s just see what happens.
“I get in there, Rhea’s in there, Charlotte’s in there, Vince’s in there, and he tells us the plan. Again, I don’t know if sense is the right word-but you’re like, okay, professional environment. Be a businesswoman, okay. Then you’re like, thank you so much for also this opportunity. I’m going to kill it.”
Cross would then reveal what she was thinking as Ripley and Flair were doing their match in the ring, prior to her cash-in, explaining:
“I will never forget that night. I’m in Gorilla. Rhea and Charlotte are having their match, and I’m like, don’t fall. Do not trip and fall! I’ve always loved running, as you’ve probably seen with some of my entrances. I’ve always been a runner. I did the Disney Marathon last year. I love running, so I was like, don’t trip, don’t fall. Again, it was one of those: if you trip and fall, it’s game over. Don’t ruin this, and the show was almost out of time. I have never ran so fast in my life, and ran up, did the top rope cross body, 1, 2, 3, and I was Women’s Champion.
“I got to celebrate into the crowd, and that’s something I had always wanted to do. So I loved being able just to jump into the crowd because no matter what, we don’t have a show without the fans. The fans are so so critical to what we do. They’ve got me to where I am. There was so many days where preparing for a tryout. Christmas Day, you’re meant to be at Christmas dinner, and I’m at the wrestling school by myself running these drills. Every moment, every time where it got really hard, it’s always the buzz from the crowd. It’s always the reaction of the fans; it’s the support from the kids in the audience, the girls in the audience, everyone. So it was super important to get that moment in. So yeah, I maybe could have stayed in the ring longer, but I was like, no, go be with the people. I’m a woman of the people. So I was super grateful that we got that moment, and then it was there.
“Then with the next Monday Night Raw, I got to like do the introduction, like ‘Welcome to Monday Night Raw.’ Again, you’re telling the 10-year-old girl, hey, look what you got to do. But at the same time, I always knew I had that talent and that ability, because that’s what I trained for. That was always my mindset. So, being at the top of the mountain and getting to enjoy that moment was incredible.”
Cross would lose the Raw Women’s Championship back to Flair at the August 2021 SummerSlam, although the following month would see her team with Ripley to become a three-time Women’s Tag Team Champion.
Finishing her WWE career as a member of Wyatt Sicks, Cross would open up about her release, which took place in April of this year.
A Flair For the Gold
A six-time WWE Women’s Champion, it’s difficult to imagine a future where Charlotte Flair isn’t a top title holder. Her record is just as commanding when it comes to the SmackDown Women’s Championship, a title she has held seven times to date.
Breaking her reign with Nikki A.S.H. may have raised eyebrows among some, but it also gives rise to a story that a championship can be lost at any point, particularly in the context of Money in the Bank and its cash-in stipulation.
Cross noting the weight of responsibility that a top champion has is a fine observation, too. Being the champion means media exposure, on top of the usual WWE activities one may expect. It’s a chance for a star to present themselves in the moment that their career is likely to have built towards, another point that Cross makes.
In an ideal world, opportunity exists for more bold swings from WWE creative as it seeks to find its next top star among a crowded roster of contenders, particularly with Triple H stating that “you earn the spot” during the SummerSlam post-show on August 1.
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