WWE Sets Up Stratton's Money in the Bank Cash-In on SmackDown

A Money in the Bank contract gives its holder the right to interrupt a title match at any time and attempt to pin or submit the champion for an instant belt change. WWE built that mechanism into the finish of SmackDown on Oct. 23 at Toyota Arena, where Tiffany Stratton — holder of the women's Money in the Bank briefcase — stood ringside during a Women's World Championship match involving champion Liv Morgan, according to the New York Post.

What Happened on SmackDown?

The Post's Joseph Staszewski writes that Morgan had been "perfectly weakened" when Stratton moved to cash in, but the attempt never became official because a referee spent what the column calls "an obscene amount of time talking to Stratton before never actually making the attempt official." Stratton was shown standing next to WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green afterward, visibly disappointed, the column reports.

Why Didn't the Cash-In Count?

Under WWE's own cash-in rule, the briefcase holder's referee must formally signal the title match is open before a pin or submission can register as a championship change. Staszewski's account indicates that step was never completed on-air, meaning Stratton's title shot technically did not happen — a sequence the column says WWE has "seen so many times that there is no excuse for it being mucked up this badly."

Has Stratton Cashed In Before?

Stratton previously used a Money in the Bank briefcase to win a championship from Nia Jax in 2025, per the Post. That precedent is why the column frames the SmackDown non-finish as a deliberate setup rather than a one-off mistake: a second cash-in that plays out differently from the first would mark new ground for the character.

What Comes Next for Stratton and Green?

The column lays out what it calls the "easy way" to pay off the angle: Stratton becomes the first woman to fail a Money in the Bank cash-in, and WWE pivots into a rivalry between Stratton and Green built on Stratton trying to "undo the embarrassment of her failed cash-in by becoming champion again." That framing ties Stratton's incomplete attempt directly into a program with Green rather than treating it as a dropped thread.

Who Else Is on Screen in This Storyline?

The Post's photo caption from the Oct. 23 show also places IYO SKY alongside Stratton and Green during the SmackDown segment, though the column's detailed breakdown centers on the Stratton-Green-Morgan triangle. No additional specifics on other title programs were included in the sourced account.

Where Does This Leave the Title Picture?

As of the Oct. 23 broadcast, Chelsea Green held the WWE Women's Championship and Liv Morgan held the Women's World Championship, with Stratton's Money in the Bank briefcase still unused on-screen, per the Post's reporting. The unresolved cash-in leaves Stratton positioned to trigger a title change at a later date under the same contractual mechanism WWE used in 2025.