Lady Wizardballs to the Wall

The evening of Thursday July 8th 2021. Tegan Nox received the call. She was no longer part of NXT. Nox had been called-up to the main roster, now officially part of SmackDown. Prior to RAW on July 5th, Nox competed in a dark match against fellow NXT competitor Toni Storm. The main roster was days away from returning to the road in front of full capacity live crowds. Rumor was management desired to have more depth to the SmackDown Women's Division. NXT stars Toni Storm, Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox were the chosen depth.

This call-up would reunite The Lady Wizardballs. Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox were brought up as a tag team for a women's tag division in need of more teams. Their team name was stylized: Shotzi & Nox. Shotzi lost her last name Blackheart. Nox was referred to as Tegan Nox but more often just Nox. After being sidelined since September 2020 due to an injury, Tegan had just returned to NXT at The Great American Bash on July 6th, resuming her rivalry with Candice LeRae. Costing The Poison Pixie the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles would have to suffice.

Tegan wasn't the only person leaving unfinished business behind. Shotzi and her tag partner since January, Ember Moon, were set to finish up their rivalry with Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez. Moon was left to finish it for them in a losing effort to Kai on the July 13th episode of NXT. Storm's rivalry with Sarray was lost to the void because she was desperately needed on SmackDown. Toni debuted in a match on the July 23rd episode then didn't appear again until a backstage bit on September 3rd prior to seeing in-ring action again on September 17th.

Shotzi & Nox were set to make their formal SmackDown debuts on the July 9th episode as surprise opponents in a non-title match against WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Natalya & Tamina. The episode was the final to take place inside the last incarnation of the WWE ThunderDome. You'd think it would have made more sense to let them finish their NXT runs with feud blowoff matches on NXT July 13th then SmackDown debut them on the July 16th episode, which was the first full capacity show back on the road since RAW on March 9th 2020.

Tegan Nox & Shotzi were excited to officially be SmackDown superstars as vibrantly expressed in a behind the scenes WWE Digital Exclusive about their blue brand formal debut. The two had previously competed on the August 14th 2020 episode as members of the NXT roster in a tri-branded battle royal to determine the #1 contender for the SmackDown Women's Championship at SummerSlam 2020. That was Nox's final match before the injury sidelined her for months. It was fitting her first televised match back was also on SmackDown.

Commentator Pat McAfee sold the arrival of Shotzi & Nox as only he could, putting them over wildly as they rode to the ring on Shotzi's TCB (Taking Care of Business) Tank. Michael Cole assisted his commentary mate to make this feel important. Nox wore an armband dedicated to her late Nan whom she dedicated this match to. Tamina's head nearly got taken off by a dart shot from the TCB Tank canon! The Lady Wizardballs (as I will still refer to them as) went on to score a non-title victory over the in-ring veterans after Shotzi pinned Natalya.

In a post-match WWE Digital Exclusive, Shotzi declared they would conquer SmackDown like a tank. That reminded Nox of a popular Welsh saying from her hometown Bargoed that her late Nan used to say. Shotzi & Nox took a moment to pay their respects to her. Nox properly recited the saying in Welsh before translating it in English: Pull Hair From a Nose. Shotzi hadn't a clue so Nox clarified it meant they were going to put everyone in their place. The tandem had made a statement against the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions and were coming for their gold.

Tegan Nox was officially a member of the WWE main roster. But in spite of the win, her formal debut still felt lackluster to many, crammed into the final ThunderDome SmackDown episode instead of taking place a week later in front of a live crowd that would have eat it up. The sudden transition to the main roster and divisive formal SmackDown debut heralded the series of uneventful events to come. Despite all that, Tegan Nox would strive to make the most of her opportunity in this whole blue new world.


SmackDown 7/09/2021 Screen Captures

GIFs From This | TW: Hover For Links
Pre-Match 1 | Pre-Match 2 | Excited
Tape | Curtain | Tank 1 | Tank 2
Apron | Drop and Kick | Uppercut
Her Cannon to Her Ball | Shoot
Tegan Saves the Day | They Won!
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3 | Post 4


Digital Exclusive Screen Captures


Featurette Interview Screen Captures


SmackDown 7/09/2021 Official Digitals

Additional Information | Shotzi & Nox defeated WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Natalya & Tamina (3:14) in a non-title match on the July 9th 2021 episode of WWE SmackDown held at the WWE ThunderDome inside Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida.

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