Lash Legend takes Jade Cargill's spot in WWE Women's United States Championship tournament

There are conflicting reports about Jade Cargill’s health, with some claiming she’s legitimately injured and others stating that it’s just an angle within WWE. Either way, the promotion announced who would replace Cargill in the tournament to crown the first WWE Women’s United States Champion. Lash Legend has been tapped to step into the open slot, creating a big opportunity for her and the promotion to continue her development into a star.

Cargill was injured during a backstage segment during the November 22 episode of WWE SmackDown. On November 23, Fightful Select reported that the “angle was to cover for a legitimate injury,” but was working to confirm that. On November 28, Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported that she was not injured, and the “claim is 100 percent incorrect.”

“We are told that attack on Cargill on last week’s Friday night Smackdown was all storyline, nothing more,” PW Insider reported.

Legend stepping into this role is a huge opportunity for her. She and Jakara Jackson, collectively known as Meta-Four, continue to get time featured on both WWE NXT and both main roster shows. While NXT has been praised for how it’s pushing the women’s division to the forefront, Legend and Jackson getting frequent time on the main roster goes above and beyond. It’s almost as if they’ve been marked for further promotion faster than other newcomers who’ve broken through via WWE NXT. It’s a good sign for them both.

Will Legend win this match? The odds are far for that. But adding her into this position does a few different things.

First, it keeps Cargill out of a triple-threat match that she shouldn’t lose. WWE has done a great job protecting her and keeping her away from too many losses. Removing her from this match keeps that trend going. She’s also been removed from the Survivor Series: WarGames match which opens some doors between Bianca Belair and Bayley, along with creating an opportunity for some interesting openings between Cargill and Belair as well.

WWE has continued to do plenty of work to shore up its women’s division for years to come. Is there room for improvement? Certainly, but one positive move is featuring Lash Legend as a potential star for the future. Adding her to the triple-threat match is another step in that direction.