WWE SmackDown’s Lainey Reid has addressed her role in causing Chelsea Green’s broken orbital bone injury.
Less than one week after finally reaching the mountaintop in WWE by becoming the Interim WWE Women’s Champion at SummerSlam 2026 Night Two, Chelsea Green suffered a broken orbital bone during her and Tiffany Stratton’s WWE Women’s Tag Team Title match against Fatal Influence on the August 7 episode of SmackDown.
The injury occurred when Lainey Reid and her tag team partner Fallon Henley delivered their Fatal Flaw tag team finishing move on Green to win the bout, with Reid inadvertently landing on Chelsea’s head while executing it.
During an appearance on Busted Open with former WWE stars Bully Ray and Raj Dhesi (Jinder Mahal), Reid was asked by Bully what she and Henley did to Green to cause the injury, to which the Fatal Influence star responded:
“Well, apparently not enough because she came back out Friday and maybe had the best segment of her career, so you’re welcome by the way.
“I’m just saying that moment doesn’t happen without Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley. Nonetheless, I’m a strong style wrestler – I think Fatal Influence in general is a strong style that people haven’t seen in years, I’ll say that. So if you’re not ready for the way that we’re coming you might be in trouble.”
When asked by Bully whether she had any remorse for causing the injury, Reid admitted she did have remorse, but only for not “finishing the job”:
“I feel like the only remorse I have is the fact that she still has a chance to compete with the title. The remorse is that I didn’t finish the job.”
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Green’s aforementioned promo came after SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis attempted to strip her of the WWE Women’s Championship due to her injury, a decision he eventually reversed after the champion’s impassioned speech.
As can be seen below, Aldis instead gave Green 30 days to get cleared by WWE medical and defend her gold. However, it was this inability to get physical that led to some dire consequences for her tag team partner Tiffany Stratton later in the night on SmackDown.
Not only did Stratton suffer a two-on-one attack from The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend) after coming to the aid of Green, but she also lost her WWE Women’s United States Championship to Jacy Jayne after preventing Chelsea from another attack from Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid.
Chelsea Green & Tiffany Stratton’s Friendship Looking Destined To End In Betrayal
With Chelsea Green playing a major role in her WWE Women’s United States Championship loss, it seems likelier than ever that Tiffany Stratton will soon be planting a knife in the back of her new bff.
Green has surpassed Stratton in terms of current popularity with the WWE fanbase, and a betrayal at the hands of Stratton – who has long felt more natural in a heel role – would only strengthen the audience’s desire to see her succeed.
Having a heel Stratton dethrone Green as Interim WWE Women’s Champion would also help WWE avoid a babyface vs. babyface match with Rhea Ripley in the eventual Unification match for said title – something they’d be wise to avoid given the popularity of both women.
To find out what AJ Styles had to say regarding Green’s latest injury setback, follow this link here.
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