Jacy Jayne and her faction Fatal Influence got the call-up from NXT to SmackDown on Friday, and the trio was met with an epic chorus of boos from the crowd at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. There’s a lot to unpack as to why they were booed and I have a take on Jayne’s handling of the heat too. Let’s get into it.
What Happened During Their SmackDown Debut?
Jayne and Co. caused an end to Paige and Brie Bella’s first tag team title defense against Flair and Bliss with their interference. FI took out all four women and they got mostly traditional heel heat for their actions.
However, when the three ladies came out and interrupted Mami’s open-challenge promo after she defeated Jade Cargill to become the WWE Women’s Champion at WrestleMania 42, the regular boos turned into a full-blown hijack. The fans had no mercy on the three women trying to make a first impression during their SmackDown debuts.
The interruption set up an impromptu Rhea Ripley vs. Jacy Jayne match made on the spot by SmackDown GM Nick Aldis. Ripley won by disqualification when Henley and Reid interfered, with Jayne hitting Ripley with the Rolling Encore on the way out. Both segments revolved around Fatal Influence taking down Paige in her main-roster return spotlight and then crashing the new champion’s open challenge.
Why Did Fatal Influence Get Booed So Hard?
It was a case of wrong place and wrong time. Also, Jayne didn’t handle the boos very well. Wrestling fans are like sharks. When they’re after a performer and that performer shows the hate is getting to them, it’s the equivalent of blood in the water. The best performers understand how to flip it and take control of the situation. You don’t ever regain control by saying things like, “I’ll wait all night.”
The fact is you don’t.
Every segment has a time constraint and today’s fans know this well. Their goal is to derail and to disrupt when they don’t like something or someone. The wrestler’s job is to say, “you know what? I don’t care. I’ve got the microphone and you’re beneath me and you’re going to watch and listen.” Jayne dropped the ball on that front on Friday and it made it tough on her and her faction.
The timing didn’t help either. Fatal Influence arrived on the same night WWE cut a long list of fan-favorites earlier in the day, with Kairi Sane, Nikki Cross, Zelina Vega, Alba Fyre and the entire Wyatt Sicks faction among the names let go. The Fort Worth crowd was already loaded for bear before Jayne picked up a microphone, and crashing Ripley’s spotlight was the breaking point.
Who Are Fatal Influence?
Jayne is an excellent worker and she has a legit style and flair as a performer. She will recover. Henley has some upside too, but Reid might have the highest ceiling overall. Her character work is getting better every week as well as her in-ring stuff.
For the readers who don’t watch NXT, here’s the rundown. Jacy Jayne is a two-time NXT Women’s Champion and a former TNA Knockouts World Champion, and she founded Fatal Influence in July 2024.
Fallon Henley is a former NXT Women’s North American Champion and former WWE Speed Women’s Champion. Lainey Reid is the newest member, joining the group in October 2024 after Jazmyn Nyx exited WWE.
What’s Next For Fatal Influence?
I’d expect Reid and Henley to find their way into the women’s tag team scene while Jayne seems primed to push for a title shot against Ripley over the next couple of months. There’s an outside shot she could get a shot at Ripley at Backlash.
Charlotte Flair is already booked to face Jayne next week on SmackDown, which sets up the immediate revenge angle. The Backlash card on May 9 in Tampa still has plenty of empty slots, and Fatal Influence has the build to fill more than one of them.
