There are several reasons why one would describe Jade Cargill as a “lightning rod” when it comes to professional wrestling and sports entertainment discourse. Since she stepped onto the scene in All Elite Wrestling, opinions developed and were set about her, well before she had the chance to leave her mark on the business. Her name came up once again, this time thanks to Booker T giving his opinion on her run not only in WWE, but in AEW. It was quite the take, and one that needs further analysis while having a real conversation about Cargill’s run in WWE and her place in wrestling.
While speaking about the botched finish in the main event of the September 26 episode of WWE SmackDown, Booker T had the following to say.
“You could tell there was a lot of miscommunication,” Booker T said while speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast. “You’ve got an NIL talent, Tiffany Stratton. You’ve got Jade Cargill who’s pretty much fresh off her AEW run, and just think about that time in AEW for her, she probably didn’t learn a whole lot, because – no disrespect of anything – but she was just put on a wing and she never really got a chance to wrestle anybody. And then you’ve got Nia Jax, who’s been there, of course is gonna feel like, ‘I need to quarterback this thing, I feel like I know more than these girls.’”
The comments about Cargill are those that are getting the most attention. As they should, because they are fairly off base in several different ways.
First, September marked two years since WWE first signed Jade Cargill. In that time, she’s performed in 68 total matches. That is just four more than the 64 she had during her run in AEW from 2021-2023. In both promotions, she’s had the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business. In AEW she worked with Bryan Danielson. In WWE she has the promotion’s training center which crafts performers to the company’s specific liking, while working with names like Natalya.
It's flat-out wrong to blame any of Cargill’s shortcomings in the ring on AEW. After two years of being under WWE’s training, if there are still issues with her abilities in the ring, it is time to look at Cargill and her current employer’s training practices. Not at the promotion she left more than two years ago.
That brings the conversation to the second point. Bell-to-bell, Jade Cargill is not good in the ring. That is not a denigration of Cargill as a person, but more of a flat-out observation of her abilities nearly five years into her professional career. These types of botches have followed Cargill for much of her run in wrestling. Mistimed steps, awkward moments, and more have plagued her. Is a lot of the disingenuous commentary about her performance online packed with racism and misogyny? Yes, but that doesn’t mean she’s an exceptional worker devoid of criticism.
In order to have a great match, Jade Cargill needs someone who can “lead” her from point to point. Look at some of her highest-rated matches. According to Cagematch, her highest singles match was against Kris Statlander, one of AEW’s best performers. Her tag team match with Bianca Belair against Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane is another that stands out, as Cargill was in the ring with three of the best in the world today. Cargill isn’t someone who should be expected to take the lead in an excellent match, at least not at this point in her career, and that’s an OK statement to make.
What Cargill does have is the look of a superstar. Her presentation from AEW to WWE is an example of why the latter is the biggest stage in the business. WWE has done an excellent job presenting Cargill as a star, one who certainly has crossover appeal. WWE isn’t focused on its stars having great matches, as long as they stay popular attractions to the fan base. In that regard, Cargill is and will long be a star in the eyes of WWE leadership. But her in-ring is lacking compared to her peers. WWE is partly to blame for that lack because this is the company she’s worked in for the last two years.
No wrestler is above reproach. Jade Cargill is a beloved fan favorite, one that many will rally around because a lot of the criticism she receives is off base. However, there’s still room to criticize her abilities in the ring. Booker T has the legacy to talk on such topics, but he fell short in this conversation, wrongly blaming AEW for her lack of development.