Tiffany Stratton | |
---|---|
![]() Stratton in 2025 | |
Birth name | Jessica Lynn Woynilko |
Born | [1] Prior Lake, Minnesota, U.S. [1] | May 1, 1999
Alma mater | St. Catherine University |
Partner | Ludwig Kaiser (2022–present) |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name | Tiffany Stratton [2] |
Billed height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) [3] |
Billed weight | 143 lb (65 kg) [3] |
Billed from | Minneapolis, Minnesota [2] |
Trained by | |
Debut | November 16, 2021 |
Jessica Lynn Woynilko (born May 1, 1999) is an American professional wrestler and former gymnast. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Tiffany Stratton and is the current WWE Women's Champion in her first reign. She is also a former one-time NXT Women's Champion and a former holder of the Women's Money in the Bank contract.
After winning weightlifting and bodybuilding championships, Woynilko's parents wanted her to become a professional wrestler and had her trained by Greg Gagne. She signed with WWE in August 2021 and debuted in November, before joining the developmental brand, NXT, where she won the NXT Women's Championship once. She was then promoted to the main roster on SmackDown in February 2024.
Jessica Woynilko was born on May 1, 1999, in Prior Lake, Minnesota. [1] She graduated from St. Catherine University in Saint Paul and practiced trampoline gymnastics for several years. [1] Her gymnastics career ended in 2017, when she suffered an undiagnosed skin fracture in her foot. [6] Woynilko's parents wanted her to pursue a career in professional wrestling, so her mother contacted former American Wrestling Association (AWA) wrestler Greg Gagne to train Woynilko prior to joining WWE. [4] She cites watching Charlotte Flair on SmackDown as her inspiration for becoming a professional wrestler. [4]
On August 30, 2021, Woynilko was the only woman announced in a new group of recruits who would be training at the WWE Performance Center. [5] During a taping of the November 16 episode of 205 Live , she made her professional wrestling debut under the ring name Tiffany Stratton, defeating Amari Miller. [7] On December 28, she debuted as a heel on WWE's developmental brand, NXT, with a rich, spoiled 'daddy's girl' gimmick, defeating Fallon Henley. [8]
In March 2022, Stratton began her first feud with Sarray, whom she attacked for rejecting her offer to replace her necklace with one Stratton would give to her. [9] Sarray responded by costing Stratton her matches over the following weeks, [10] [11] resulting in Stratton defeating Sarray on the April 19 episode of NXT . [12] On May 24, she replaced the injured Nikkita Lyons in the NXT Women's Breakout Tournament, but eventually lost to Roxanne Perez in the finals. [13] [14] Stratton next feuded with Wendy Choo, defeating her at NXT: The Great American Bash on July 5, before losing to Choo in a lights out match on the August 23 episode of NXT. [15] [16] After taking time off due to an injury, Stratton returned in January 2023 at NXT: New Year's Evil. [17] At NXT Stand & Deliver on April 1, she competed in a ladder match for the NXT Women's Championship, which was won by Indi Hartwell. [18] She failed to win the title from Hartwell in a triple threat match also involving Perez on April 25 at Spring Breakin'. [19]
Stratton took part in an eight-woman single-elimination tournament, in which she defeated Gigi Dolin in the quarterfinals, [20] Perez in the semifinals, [21] and Lyra Valkyria in the finals at NXT Battleground on May 28 to win the NXT Women's Championship, her first championship in her career. [22] On June 27, at NXT: Gold Rush, Stratton made her first successful title defense against Chase University's Thea Hail. During the match, Hail submitted Stratton, which the referee did not see after a distraction by Drew Gulak. [23] This led to a submission match for the title at NXT The Great American Bash on July 30, where Stratton defeated Hail, after Andre Chase threw in the towel when Stratton locked Hail in a submission. [24] On the September 12 episode of NXT, Stratton lost the title to Becky Lynch, ending her reign at 107 days. [25] She failed to regain the title from Lynch in an Extreme Rules match at NXT No Mercy on September 30. [26] On December 9, she competed in the women's Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline, which was won by Blair Davenport. [27]
At NXT: New Year's Evil on January 2, 2024, Stratton lost to Fallon Henley in a "ranch hand or servant for a day" match, thus she had to work at Henley's ranch for a day the following week, in what marked her final NXT appearance. [28] [29] On January 27, at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Stratton entered the women's Royal Rumble match at number 29, eliminating Perez, before being eliminated by the eventual winner Bayley. [30]
On February 2, Stratton was officially assigned to the SmackDown brand. [31] She defeated Zelina Vega on the February 16 episode of SmackDown to qualify for the women's Elimination Chamber match at the titular event on February 24, where she eliminated Naomi, before being eliminated by Liv Morgan. [32] [33] At Backlash France on May 4, she failed to win the WWE Women’s Championship from Bayley in a triple threat match, also involving Naomi. [34] She then formed an alliance with Queen of the Ring winner and WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax. [35] [36] On July 6, Stratton won the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match at the namesake event. [37] At Survivor Series WarGames on November 30, Stratton participated in her first WarGames match alongside Jax, Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez and Candice LeRae, where they lost to Naomi, Bayley, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. [38]
On the January 3, 2025 episode of SmackDown, after assisting Jax in her title defense against Naomi, Stratton turned on Jax and LeRae and cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Jax to win the WWE Women's Championship. [39] She made her first successful title defense against Bayley on January 17. [40] On the February 14 episode of SmackDown, Stratton defeated Jax via disqualification to retain the title, after interference from LeRae. She was then attacked by Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair, who challenged her for the WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania 41, fully turning Stratton face for the first time in her career. [41] [42] On Night 1 of WrestleMania on April 19, Stratton defeated Flair to retain the title. [43] She retained her title against Jax on the May 16 episode of SmackDown, and in a Last Woman Standing match on the June 27 episode to end their feud. [44] [45] Stratton successfully defended the title against Trish Stratus on July 13 at Evolution, [46] and Queen of the Ring winner Jade Cargill on Night 1 of SummerSlam on August 2. [47]
Woynilko's finishing maneuver, inspired by her trampoline gymnastics background, is a variation of the triple jump moonsault using the ropes, called the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. [48] She previously used a springboard into a corkscrew as a finisher. [12] Upon her wrestling debut, Stratton was given the gimmick of a stereotypical, rich 'daddy's girl'. [8] She cites Paris Hilton and the character of Sharpay Evans from High School Musical as inspirations for the gimmick. [4]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | WWE SuperCard | Tiffany Stratton | |
2023 | WWE 2K23 | Tiffany Stratton | Pretty Sweet Pack DLC [49] |
2024 | WWE 2K24 | Tiffany Stratton | [50] |
2025 | WWE 2K25 | Tiffany Stratton | [51] |
Woynilko has been in a relationship with fellow professional wrestler Marcel Barthel, better known as Ludwig Kaiser, since 2022. [52]
Event | Date | Location | Place and Sport |
---|---|---|---|
2016 Winter Classic | February 20, 2016 | Battle Creek, Michigan | 2nd-DM [53] (Open) |
2016 Elite Challenge | May 7, 2016 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 4th-TR [54] (Open); 5th-DM [55] |
2016 USA Gymnastics Championships | June 12, 2016 | Providence, Rhode Island | 7th-TR (Open); 3rd-DM [56] |
2017 Winter Classic | February 25, 2017 | Battle Creek, Michigan | 7th-DM [57] |
2017 Elite Challenge | May 20, 2017 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 7th-TR [58] (Open) |
Tiffany Stratton defeated Amari Miller
Her theme song even calls her a "daddy's girl," so safe to say this Olympian is now a stereotypical rich girl.
Stratton pins Sarray after using a springboard into a corkscrew.
So we've actually been dating for, it's gonna be two years in May.
3. Jessica Woynilko, Prior Lake, Minn., 131.400
Female Superstar of the Year is Tiffany Stratton.