The February 20 episode of WWE SmackDown at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida delivered a major shake-up on the road to WWE Elimination Chamber — but now there’s an update that adds even more weight to the moment.
In the triple threat qualifier, Nia Jax, Charlotte Flair, and Kiana James battled for the final spot inside the 2026 Women’s Elimination Chamber match. With Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, Asuka, and Tiffany Stratton already qualified, the pressure was on.
Charlotte entered as the favorite and had the crowd behind her. She even walked past champion Jade Cargill earlier in the night after Jade teased potential challengers. The match was chaotic. Kiana hit an impressive Samoan Drop on Nia Jax. Charlotte later delivered a top-rope powerbomb to Jax before locking in the Figure Eight. That looked like the finish.
Then Kiana slid in. While Charlotte had Jax trapped in the submission, Kiana hooked Charlotte for the pin and stole the victory. Just like that, she punched her ticket to Chicago on February 28. Now, Kiana has opened up about what that moment really meant to her.
Speaking on TMZ Inside the Ring, she addressed the surreal feeling of pinning Charlotte — someone she has trained alongside during knee rehab and built a real-life gym partnership with. She admitted the moment was emotionally layered.
“I think it’s — there’s a bittersweet to that, right? Because we’ve become partners in the gym and training through like knee rehab and things like that. But also like taking a step back and realizing like this is the most decorated woman in WWE of all time. Like being able to be like, you just did that. Like you just pinned the best of the best. So it was a great moment for me and it’s something that I’ll definitely remember for a long time.”
For Kiana, this wasn’t just a sneaky win. It was validation.Laer in the interview, she was asked whether that victory changed anything between her and Charlotte. Instead of tension, Kiana described competition and mutual elevation.
“I mean it’s surreal, right? Like Charlotte Flair — pinning Charlotte Flair. But I think at the end of the day our personal relationship and our professional relationship — I think iron sharpens iron, right? So when you have someone in the locker room who makes you want to become better, I think win or lose, it’s just okay, now I have to step up and then she’s here and then like just trying to like kind of climb each rung of that ladder. I think it’s great. I think our camaraderie kind of stays. We just kind of push each other in that way.”
That mindset could be critical heading into Elimination Chamber. Instead of shrinking from the spotlight, Kiana is embracing the moment — and she knows exactly what pinning a 14-time world champion represents for her career trajectory.
With Bliss, Ripley, Asuka, Stratton, and now Kiana locked in, the 2026 Women’s Elimination Chamber match just became even more unpredictable.
Is Kiana James ready to turn this stolen win into a full WrestleMania breakthrough, or was that SmackDown moment the peak? Drop your thoughts below and let us know who you think walks out of Elimination Chamber on top.
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