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IYO SKY had a breakout performance in Puerto Rico earlier this year against The EST of WWE, Bianca Belair. The loud reactions she received evidently reached the ears of the creative team backstage, who decided she'd win the Money in the Bank contract and subsequently booked her to win the Women's Championship at Summerslam 2023.
At The Biggest Party of the Summer, Bianca Belair narrowly picked up the victory over reigning champion Asuka and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat, only to get cashed-in on, not long after scoring the pinfall over The Empress.
Bianca Belair recently spoke to Mike Jones about IYO SKY's cash-in at The Biggest Party of the Summer in Detroit, Michigan:
"I was champion for 90 seconds. I try to laugh about it to keep my spirits high. I always say, it still counts. At the end of the day, IYO SKY came out, she cashed in on me after I had gone through a 30-minute match with an injured knee. I'm not making excuses for it. If I was IYO SKY, I would have probably done the same thing, that's what being Ms. Money in the Bank is all about," Belair said.
She concluded by assuring that "vengeance" is coming the Women's Champion's way on Friday Night SmackDown:
'I'm definitely coming after that title, I only got to hold it in my hands for 90 seconds, the brand new WWE Women's Title, I definitely want to hold it in my hands for longer than 90 seconds. You best believe I'm coming back with a vengeance and I'm after IYO SKY for revenge," she said. [H/T: Fightful]
WWE Hall of Famer claims Bianca Belair vs. Charlotte Flair is where the money is
Asuka ended The EST of WWE's record-setting women's world title reign at Night of Champions in May 2023.
In the buildup to SummerSlam, Mark Henry on the Busted Open podcast, pointed to the fact that The Empress was only an "interim champion." According to the Hall of Famer, Charlotte Flair's return to the blue brand opened up the possibility for a blockbuster showdown against Bianca Belair:
"Bianca said it best: 'I was the longest tenured champion in the modern era, and it didn't take me to lose it 16 times,'" Henry said. "So, the battle of supremacy is between Charlotte and Bianca. That's where the money is. Everybody wants to see them. But how do you get there?"
Tonight on WWE SmackDown, Bianca Belair returns after SummerSlam to team up with Charlotte Flair and take on IYO SKY and Bayley.
What are your thoughts on a showdown between Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair overshadowing IYO SKY's title reign in the not-too-distant future? Sound off in the comments section below!
