On July 9, 2024 , the episode of NXT, a faction was formed that changed the course of NXT’s women’s division for the better. Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne, and Jazmyn Nyx formed Fatal Influence, becoming an unstoppable force on the brand.
Jayne had two separate runs with the NXT Women’s Championship, totaling 286 days, with a 24-day reign by Tatum Paxley breaking them up. She was also the TNA Knockouts Champion for 35 days last summer. During that time, she was a double champion in NXT and TNA.
Nyx got replaced in the group last October by Lainey Reid, completing their current lineup. Since it was clear Jayne was the leader, fans wondered if she alone would be called up to the main roster. But on April 24, 2026, an episode of Friday Night SmackDown, all three women came up together. It may be a small sample size, but it’s clear that keeping them together gives them the opportunity to be SmackDown’s next big women’s faction.
Jayne Can Keep Being the Singles Star She Is
There’s no question that Jayne’s NXT run was a huge success. She had two great runs as NXT Women’s Champion while elevating Henley and Reid into great performers. But there is a huge difference between NXT and the main roster. A lot of wrestlers fail to impress the audience, but some do. So far, Jayne is doing great. She lost to Rhea Ripley due to a disqualification the same night as the faction’s debut.
Next Friday, she would win in a great match against Charlotte Flair. To win against someone of Flair’s caliber on your second main roster match shows WWE has a lot of confidence in her. The following week, the three women beat Alexa Bliss, Flair, and Ripley in a six-woman tag team match.
With Queen of the Ring qualifying coming up next Monday, Jacy Jayne will definitely be in the bracket. If she can make it far, there’s no question that a championship opportunity will be there soon for her.
Henley and Reid Join an Already Impressive Women’s Tag Team Division
The women’s tag team division in WWE has been strong for a long time. Brie Bella and Paige are the current champions, winning at WrestleMania: Vegas. The unlikely duo of Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair is still going strong. Lash Legend and Nia Jax, the Irresistible Forces, are former champions.
Adding Henley and Reid to the mix only makes the competition stronger and matches better. There was a solid argument for keeping them down in NXT, though. Reid made her NXT debut last year, with Henley and Jacy Jayne having years more experience than her.
However, WWE decided to call all of them up, obviously impressed by her in-ring progress. Learning from veterans will help both her and Henley get better and get championship opportunities. Staying in NXT would’ve been nice, but WWE sees value in the faction as a whole. With Henley and Reid as the newest additions to the women’s tag team division, there will be more opportunities for fans to see captivating and exciting matches.
Calling Them All Up Will Benefit Each of Them
WWE’s handling of factions has been extremely varied over the years. Sometimes, star factions don’t even leave NXT, with Meta Four being a recent example. Others make it to the main roster, but get split up quickly after. In contrast, others stay together for the duration of their WWE runs. With Fatal Influence, WWE could’ve just called up Jayne alone. She’s extremely talented in the ring and on the microphone, and capable of holding her own.
However, they decided to call all three women up. Jayne can still be a singles star, but now has backup in case she runs into trouble. Henley and Reid can add some more talent to the women’s tag team division, which is already very talented.
Reid, the least experienced out of the three, can also learn from veterans, which will help her gain more knowledge in and out of the ring. Calling up Fatal Influence together will turn out to be a great decision that will help all three women.
