Natalya has set her sights on Tiffany Stratton for WWE SummerSlam, calling out the Women’s United States Champion and declaring that the champion needs to be “knocked on her a**.”
The veteran floated the idea, positioning Stratton as the exact kind of star she would love to humble on the summer showcase.
Speaking on A Shot of Brandi, Natalya reflected on her favorite SummerSlam memories, including her 2017 feud with Naomi, before naming Stratton as her dream target if she were handed a spot on the card.
Summer Slam is very, very special and very important to me,” Natalya said. She then made her pitch clear.
If I could challenge anyone at Summer Slam, I would love to challenge Tiffany. Because she’s got a championship and she’s really pretty and I think she needs to be knocked on her a**.
The Complication: Stratton Is Already Booked
The challenge runs into an obvious problem. Stratton is not sitting idle heading into the event, and the timing puts the matchup in a difficult spot on an already stacked card.
Due to an injury to WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, WWE announced a five-woman ladder match at SummerSlam to crown an Interim WWE Women’s Champion, with the winner set to face Ripley once she is cleared to return. Stratton has qualified for that bout.
On the July 17 episode of SmackDown, Stratton defeated Jacy Jayne to lock in her place. Jade Cargill also won a qualifier the same night, and WWE later booked Nia Jax vs. Charlotte Flair to determine another entrant.
Stratton’s Loaded Résumé Heading In
Stratton has grown into one of WWE’s centerpiece women’s stars since moving up from NXT. Alongside the Women’s United States Championship, she has also held the WWE Women’s Champion.
She retained the Women’s United States Championship on the May 22 edition of SmackDown during an open challenge and is advertised to defend it against Cargill at Night of Champions.
The narrative value only climbs given SummerSlam takes place August 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, promoted as Stratton’s hometown.
Natalya, a former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion and Divas Champion, brings veteran credibility to any callout, and her recent character work has leaned into a sharper edge. That history and her ongoing push for opportunities are worth noting, as seen in her recent bold title demand to Triple H and her heel turn attacking Maxxine Dupri on Raw.
