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The rumor mill has been buzzing for the past 24 hours. But now, rumors have become reality as Tatum Paxley made a shock debut on the post-SummerSlam 2026, August 7th edition of WWE SmackDown, live from the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The former NXT Women’s and Women’s North American Champion made huge waves this Friday night, putting the SmackDown women’s roster on notice. Tatum Paxley Menacingly Waltzes into WWE SmackDown For better or worse, Paxley has made a name for herself for being unpredictable. From stalking former NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria to making the save for her, Tatum is one you gotta watch out for, and that’s exactly why everyone should’ve been looking over their shoulders on this week’s post-SummerSlam 2026 edition of the Blue brand. The last time we saw Tatum was when she faced off with Kelani Jordan on the June 30th, 2026 episode of NXT, and that may be one of the reasons that pushed her to the edge to be greater and make a stamp on WWE SmackDown. In the main event of the evening, Jade Cargill and Charlotte Flair went at it. At the end of this match, Flair had Cargill in the Figure-Eight Leg Lock, only for Michin to pull her hands, leading to her breaking the hold. Backup would arrive, as Alexa Bliss would arrive, with Lily in hand. The lights would go out, and we see the former NXT Women’s Champion on the top rope, diving onto Michin and B-FAB and evening the odds, allowing Flair to capitalize and win, as she and Bliss seemingly found a new bestie. Don’t let your eyes deceive you. As much as Tatum looks like an unhinged competitor, she has time and again used that to her advantage, winning gold and leading factions during her dominant time in NXT. Tatum Paxley previously sat at the helm of The Culling stable, which consisted of herself, Izzi Dame, Brooks Jensen, Niko Vance, and once-leader Shawn Spears. While terrorizing the NXT landscape, Paxley won the NXT Women’s Title at last year’s NXT Halloween Havoc, dethroning long-time champion and now SmackDown roster-mate Fatal Influence’s own Jacy Jayne. Her success didn’t stop there. To kick off 2026, Paxley exacted revenge on her former friend and ally Izzi Dame to take the NXT Women’s North American Championship, becoming only the second star to hold both belts at one point in time, with the only other woman to do it being former WWE Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer. Tatum Paxley has amassed massive success on the White & Gold; now she has a new playground to play in every Friday night.