Alexa Bliss Returns, Brings Tatum Paxley To Clear Out Baddies On SmackDown

Alexa Bliss made her long-awaited return to WWE television on the August 7 episode of SmackDown, and she didn’t come back alone. Bliss inserted herself into the Charlotte Flair vs. Jade Cargill match after the Baddies — B-Fab and Michin — got involved to tilt the bout in Cargill’s favor. Bliss brought a new ally with her: Tatum Paxley, who wasted no time making an impact by taking out both B-Fab and Michin with a crossbody on the outside.

The pairing marks the first real on-screen alignment between Bliss and Paxley, and it immediately reframes the rivalry between Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargill as something bigger than a one-on-one issue. With the Baddies stacking the numbers against Flair, the arrival of reinforcements gives her camp some much-needed backup — and gives WWE a fresh trio (or budding faction) to build around heading into the fall.

For Paxley, this is a notable spot. She’s spent much of her main roster run searching for a clear identity and role, and sliding in alongside a star with as much credibility and history as Bliss is the kind of rub that can jumpstart a career. Bliss, for her part, returning in this fashion — as the one evening the odds rather than chasing a title program immediately — suggests WWE wants to ease her back in through an alliance story rather than thrust her straight into a singles feud.

Paxley didn’t hold back her excitement about the new pairing, simply saying she loves her new friends. It’s a lighthearted way of describing what could end up being a significant character shift for both women, especially if this expands into a longer-term stable dynamic involving Flair as the story develops.

The Baddies angle has given SmackDown’s women’s division a clear us-versus-them structure, with Cargill and her crew playing the aggressors against a growing list of targets. Adding Bliss and Paxley to the equation gives Flair a support system and sets up recurring tag or trios matches that can keep multiple storylines moving at once without every issue needing to be settled one-on-one.

Whether this becomes a full-fledged faction or simply a temporary alliance to combat the Baddies remains to be seen, but the visual of Bliss and Paxley clearing house together is a strong opening chapter. Expect WWE to build on the momentum in the coming weeks as the Flair-Cargill rivalry continues to escalate on SmackDown.