Bully Ray Slams Negativity Over WWE SmackDown Botch: 'It Could Happen To Anyone'

Last Friday on "WWE SmackDown," Tiffany Stratton successfully defended and retained her WWE Women's Championship against Jade Cargill and Nia Jax. But "Tiffy Time" remaining on schedule wasn't what most were talking about. Rather, it was the finish to the match that saw not only Cargill split open, but miscued timing of a pinfall count. So many were quick to pick apart the main event match, yet they were short to commend the women for putting on what was a barnburner match. Bully Ray quickly jumped on those who criticized these Superstars, and with good intentions on their behalf.

"Entirely too much negativity on social media directed at those three women, actually those four women, including the referee about the 'screw up...' It's entirely too much," the WWE Hall of Famer said on "Busted Open." "Once again, a bunch of know-it-alls who know nothing at all chiming in on social media because they think that they know better. Once again, I say to all of these people, why don't you get in there and why don't you go do it yourself. People ragging on the referee for what she did or Nia Jax for what she did.

Adding to his previous comments, Ray mentioned how after rewatching this match led him to see it from a 50/50 standing, where he could see where it could've been handled differently. But the bottom line was that Ray wanted to remind those who enjoy fault-finding, that, like them, these wrestlers are human, too, and mistakes happen to even the best of them.

"There's reasons why things happen in a wrestling ring. Yes, mistakes are going to happen. Mistakes happen to the absolute best," Ray noted. "The reason why you didn't see the best of the best making a lot of mistakes back in the day is 'cause we worked 300 days a year, or they worked 300 days a year. It's not as easy to be as crisp and sharp when you're working less days. And sometimes, timing issues happen. And it was a timing issue that led to the finish of the match going awry. When it came to the gash over...Jade Cargill's eye, that was a freak accident...I went back and watched how Nia threw her into the steps, it was a freak accident. She didn't deliberately drive her head into the jagged edge of the steps. Could they have been a little farther back? Absolutely. But when I watched that back, I go 'yup, that's a 50/50 thing.' It could happen to anybody."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.