Chelsea Green Retains WWE Women’s Title Against Michin

At SmackDown on January 10, 2025, Chelsea Green defeated Michin to retain the WWE United States Women’s Championship to stay the inaugural champion and continue the brewing rivalry.

The Road to the Title Match

A long-standing feud between Chelsea Green and Michin has been going strong since the late months of 2024. Things went to another level between the pair in the form of the first-ever female Dumpster Match in company history, won by Michin after Green had been thrown off a raised table into the waiting dumpster. However, Green would gain revenge on December 14, 2024, at Saturday Night’s Main Event, when she defeated Michin in the finals of a tournament to become the first-ever WWE Women’s United States Champion.

Green’s win on Saturday Night’s Main Event was incredibly controversial, as it was her tag team partner Piper Niven who provided the distraction that sealed the deal for Green to win. That left Michin hungry for a redemption and conquest of the title she felt rightfully belonged to her.

Tensions continued to build in the coming weeks heading into their SmackDown rematch. Michin made it known she wasn’t finished with chasing the championship, going so far as to crash Green’s official title celebration and attack Niven with a kendo stick. Meanwhile, Green enjoyed her new status of champion, becoming boastful and irritating to fans and fellow superstars alike.

The Championship Match

This highly publicized rematch took place on the January 10, 2025 episode of SmackDown at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. As the first champion, this was Green’s maiden title defense since capturing the championship less than a month prior.

A golden intensity shown by both females as it was obvious from the sound of the bell that nobody was leaving without that gold. Michin was out aggressive, trying to hit her Eat Defeat very early in the match in hopes of catching Green off guard for a quick end to the match. However, the crafty Green avoided the move and was able to roll to the outside to regroup with Niven.

The action spilled in and out of the ring as the two rivals battled hard. Green used her guile and experience to control large parts of the match, while Michin’s never-say-die attitude saw her fight back into the contest repeatedly. Piper Niven’s presence at ringside proved a constant threat as Michin was forced to keep one eye on her opponent and one on Green’s towering ally.

The more the match went, the more it wore into Michin’s favor: a kick sent Niven off, then a front-flip senton off the ring apron onto Green’s partner sent him temporarily out of the equation, and Michin was quick in capitalizing on the opening to go on offense against the champion.

The climax of the match saw Michin ascend to the top rope, poised to hit a high-risk maneuver on Green. A picture-perfect crossbody was connected, but Green utilized her ring awareness to roll through the move. In the controversial finish, Green grabbed a handful of tights from behind Michin to leverage pinning her challenger’s shoulders onto the mat. The referee’s hand came down for the three-count, and Chelsea Green had retained her championship.

Aftermath and Consequences

In fact, the manner in which the match was won has left many fans and commentators arguing whether this victory by Green was fair and square. Yes, she pinned Michin’s shoulders, but doing that with tights certainly put a damper on the win. This controversial finish is likely to add fuel to their ongoing feud, as Michin can rightfully claim she was cheated out of the championship.

Immediately after the bell, Piper Niven made her presence known once again by running a senton on Michin. The post-match attack only solidified the alliance between Green and Niven, leaving Michin laid out in the ring.

The victory kept Chelsea Green’s singles record against Michin at 2-1. More importantly, she successfully defended her newly won championship for the first time in a successful title defense, which lends some merit to her reign as the inaugural WWE Women’s United States Champion.

Chelsea Green’s Reign as Champion

The title win and defense by Green marked a big milestone in her WWE career. Having captured the championship at Saturday Night’s Main Event, she became one half of the first husband-wife duo to hold both the men’s and women’s United States Championships, as her husband, Matt Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder in WWE, had held the men’s version of the title.

It wasn’t an easy road to the championship for Green. She had suffered several setbacks and losses throughout 2024 on WWE programming. Still, her persistence and the ability to maximize screen time with character work paid off in the end. For many, this was seen as a well-deserved win considering her efforts throughout the year at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

As champion, Green has really leaned into the role, cranking her already over-the-top personality up to new heights. She has become increasingly demanding and annoying to authority figures such as Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis—to the delight of fans who have enjoyed her antics. Being paired with Piper Niven furthered an interesting dynamic in regard to her championship reign, giving her backup and therefore even more possibilities regarding storyline progression.

Future United States Women’s Championship

This, indeed, has made the start to the WWE Women’s United States Championship a really interesting deal since its inauguration with Chelsea Green. In itself, the championship adds novelty to what women in that division work towards, and hence the possibilities with regards to newer storylines or even character developments expand.

Green’s character work and in-ring abilities make her an ideal first champion to establish the importance of the title. Her ability to generate heat from the audience ensures that whoever eventually dethrones her will receive a significant boost in popularity.

The rivalry with Michin that has been ongoing is a great basis for the early storyline of the championship going forward. Their styles and personalities are in such contrast to one another that it creates an interesting dynamic that can be told through many different match types and scenarios. Controversy with Green’s victories also leaves the door open for future rematches and grudge matches.

As one would have it, a number of girls can actually begin to challenge the Women’s United States Championship on sight. First is B-Fab, who has expressed interest in pursuing the title by confronting Green backstage before her match with Michin. Other up-and-coming stars in the women’s division could have the championship in their sights on the way to making a name for themselves.

Impact on the Women’s Division

The introduction of the Women’s United States Championship simply ups the level of WWE’s women’s division by providing more grounds to talented performers and not-so-elevated headliners, yet by giving character elevation.

The fact that this championship was held by Chelsea Green really placed her at a different level within the company, giving her just the perfect avenue for deeper development of her character and to place her as one of the key focal points in SmackDown’s women’s division. Her reign is very likely to go down in the pages of history about the title.

The championship also tells stories beyond ‘who has got the gold, either.’ With this alliance, Green and Niven are adding character depth to either man, creating some interesting conflicts when they’ve faced other, varied members of their roster.

As the title scene continues to develop, it will be interesting to see how WWE uses the championship to tell interesting stories and build new stars. The Women’s United States Championship has the potential to become a launching pad for future main event talent, similar to how the men’s version of the title has often been used.

Conclusion

This title defense against Michin on SmackDown, in its own way, helps complete the early history of the WWE Women’s United States Championship. Sure, there is some controversy involved with her victory, but Green proved herself a crafty and resilient champion, able to fight off some stiff competition to retain the title.

As the first champion, Green’s mantle is to set a precedent in respect and prestige for the Women’s United States Championship. Her work on character and the in-ring activity has already made it a must-watch part of the SmackDown programming.

The continued fight against Michin and the possibility of new challengers coming into the fray pretty much cements the Women’s United States Championship as a staple of the women’s division for the next few months. As history marches on with this championship, all eyes rest on Chelsea Green in regard to how long her grasp can firmly hold and who will be able to rise and eventually take it from her.