This week on WWE SmackDown, Nia Jax declared her intention to challenge Bayley for the Women’s Championship, provided Bayley is still the champion at SummerSlam. Nia Jax was drafted to SmackDown last month.
Additionally, Triple H announced that the winners of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments would receive a world title shot at WWE SummerSlam. While the build-up for that title match has already begun, Jax will have to wait another two months for her opportunity.
According to a report by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, this is the reason for Piper Niven’s title shot at Clash at the Castle on June 15th. The Scottish star appears to be a filler match for Bayley as she prepares for her SummerSlam clash.
“The major match is the Nia Jax match and they just did this to fill time until we get to it.”
The issue here is that SummerSlam isn’t until August, and after Clash at the Castle: Scotland, there’s still the Money in the Bank Premium Live Event to contend with. It’s unclear why Triple H scheduled the match for SummerSlam when it’s still about eight weeks away.
It would have made much more sense to allow the winner to cash in on the opportunity when they were ready, which would enable Jax to face Bayley at Clash at the Castle or Money in the Bank.