At the WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 in Perth, Becky Lynch left the cage as victor, securing her ticket to WrestleMania 40. Tiffany Stratton, however, showed up and showed out, cementing her spot as “Center of the Universe.”
At 24 years old, Stratton is the youngest Superstar to participate in a women’s Elimination Chamber match. And if that wasn’t enough pressure on the former gymnast, Stratton competed in the chamber match only 53 days following her last match as a NXT roster member — and with just three main roster matches under her belt, not including the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble.
So, while Stratton had just shy of 2.5 years of experience in a WWE ring, and was trained by the likes of Greg Gagne, from a fan’s perspective, the expectation that Stratton would steal the show was understandably low; the other five competitors share over 45 years of experience between them. Despite the odds against her, Stratton decimated those low expectations and walked out of the match reminding everyone it will always be “Tiffy Time.”
The sixth women’s Elimination Chamber match started the show. The women are well loved by Perth, and each woman received their own share of the crowd excitement. Stratton, playing the heel part she’s been given, came out to a divisive crowd and commentary table: she’s either loved or despised.
Lynch and Naomi started the match. Lynch appeared instantly to be the fan favorite. Naomi, too, had a Perth following. Just over five minutes later, the countdown to release a woman from their pod had started, and the fans emphatically shouted, “We want Tiffany!” The crowd got their wish, and Stratton entered the match to roaring elation. The fans noticeably upped their investment into the bout, and that commitment to Stratton stayed the course.
The new main roster recruit showed up hungry from the start, and it’s almost certain she came prepared physically and mentally. She stated she wanted to be the youngest woman to win an Elimination Chamber match; her energy, focus and sense of urgency was the foundation for the trailblazer she wants to be.
The Team USA gymnast delivered smooth transitions, a perfect sense of relative position, a knack for both taking punishment and staying safe, clean landings, an all-rounder move arsenal, and the air of believability that no woman’s finisher meant the end of her road.
The Disarm-her? She wasn’t not worried. Manhandle Slam? Please, that’s nothing. One of Naomi’s sunset flip powerbombs off the top rope? Stratton pinned her in response. Gymnastic moves? Don’t even try.
It was time for TIFFY to capitalize on the #WWEChamber chaos! pic.twitter.com/0NjjwenGbP
— WWE (@WWE) February 24, 2024
Perhaps the most memorable spots of the match started with Stratton’s meet-and-greet with Lynch at the top of a pod. She escaped a second Manhandle Slam from Lynch and threw The Man off the top. In a moment of greatness, Stratton saw Raquel Rodriguez, Bianca Belair and Lynch below her, in a perfect position for disaster outside the ring. Tiffany paused, signaled it’s “Tiffy Time” to a wild crowd and took a Swanton dive of faith, landing cleanly on the three.
Stratton was already impressing the WWE universe. After the immaculate Swanton? Stratton was undeniable. The crowd responded to the high-risk move with “This is awesome!” chants. Commentary went crazy. The women who took the punishment are down and out.
Morgan eventually pinned and eliminated Stratton, telling the fans to “cry about it” when they booed in disdain. The mass of Australians were mad, and the resentment continued throughout the show. Even during the men’s Elimination Chamber match the crowd loudly cried “Tiffy Time!”
“TIFFY TIME” CHANTS DURING THE MENS EC MATCH LMAOO#WWEChamber
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) February 24, 2024
Stratton spent over 17 minutes in the match earning new fans. During many spots, she looked physically stronger than the incredibly tough powerhouses Belair and Rodriguez. She was actively present in nearly every minute of her match time, even after numerous moves with women on her shoulders.
The other women undoubtedly stood tall on their own, but Stratton spent equal times making herself and the others look dominant, a skill many professionals perfect by spending years in the ring with a wide variety of opponents.
Tiffany Stratton entered the chamber an underdog, a main roster newcomer and a strong heel. She left a changed woman with a changed image. Her fanbase grew rapidly. While still packaged as a heel, her babyface image came into focus.
A large chunk of the fanbase who witnessed the match agree Stratton stood out as the strongest, cleanest and most charismatic of the six competitors. In a match with pillars of WWE, that kind of consensus is no easy feat.
With Lynch’s attention directed towards her match with Rhea Ripley, Stratton’s future is wide open. After proving her dominance, she’s got her pick of opponents.
Put the WWE rosters on notice: it’s “Tiffy Time.”
