Tiffany Stratton Rounds Out Women’s Money in the Bank Field

The women’s Money in the Bank ladder match now has its full lineup. Tiffany Stratton punched her ticket to the October 10 event by winning a triple threat qualifier over Tatum Paxley and Candice LeRae on the October 2 edition of SmackDown. In the closing stretch, Paxley connected with a 450 splash on LeRae, but before the referee could count three, Stratton broke it up with her Prettiest Moonsault Ever and pinned LeRae herself to steal the spot.

Stratton joins Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, Jacy Jayne, Roxanne Perez and Lash Legend in the ladder match, which is scheduled to take place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

Her addition breaks what had been a clear trend in the build toward this match. Every other qualifier had debuted on the main roster within the last two years — Roxanne Perez and Lash Legend joined in 2025, while Sol Ruca, Jacy Jayne and Lola Vice all made their main-roster debuts in 2026. Stratton, by contrast, has been a fixture on SmackDown since 2024, making her the most tenured competitor in the field by a wide margin.

She also brings a résumé no one else in this match can match. Stratton won the 2024 Money in the Bank ladder match outright, defeating Chelsea Green, IYO SKY, Lyra Valkyria, Naomi and Zoey Stark, then cashed in her briefcase on the January 3, 2025 episode of SmackDown to beat Nia Jax for the Women’s Championship. She held that title for 301 days, defending it against names like Charlotte Flair, Bayley and Trish Stratus before dropping it to Jade Cargill at Saturday Night’s Main Event that November. Earlier this year, she added a 112-day reign with the Women’s US Championship to her ledger.

That track record is exactly why some fans expected Paxley, rather than Stratton, to round out the field — the match had been shaping up as a showcase for the next wave of talent rather than a proven former champion. But it’s worth remembering Stratton wasn’t chosen over Paxley specifically; she was chosen over the entire roster of stars who didn’t qualify at all.

There’s a reasonable case for why WWE wanted her in the mix. Stratton remains one of the most recognizable names in the blue brand’s women’s division, and her star power only helps sell the match. Her presence also gives newer arrivals like Ruca and Vice a chance to share a ladder-match ring with a former world champion and prove they belong on that level — a credibility boost that a field of total newcomers wouldn’t provide.

Whether Stratton’s experience makes her the favorite to win a second briefcase, or simply a measuring stick for the rising names around her, remains to be seen. Either way, the match now has a genuine mix of youth and proven championship pedigree heading into October 10, when the field will finally settle who walks away with Money in the Bank gold.