Chelsea Green Left Limping After United States Title Loss on WWE SmackDown

Chelsea Green isn’t holding back after losing the WWE Women’s United States Championship to Giulia — and by the sound of it, the match took a serious physical toll.

In a new interview with Inside the Ring, Green reflected on the January 2, 2026 SmackDown title bout, describing it as one of the most physical matches of her entire career.

“So, full disclosure, I’m lucky to have hair left after that match. I was limping on both legs. It was definitely like a Japanese strong style match.”

That’s saying something, considering Green’s past experience wrestling top-tier talent in STARDOM, including the likes of Kairi Sane, IYO SKY, and Mayu Iwatani. She continued:

“Even after living in Japan and wrestling Kairi Sane, IYO SKY, and Mayu Iwatani, and all of the STARDOM girls, it was really, really rough. But at the end of the day, isn’t that what we want out of a champion?”

Despite the pain — and the loss — Chelsea still sees herself as a defining champion in WWE’s new era of women’s competition.

“I think I’m the greatest first, fourth, and final champion. However, I have to give it to Giulia because she beat my ass.”

The bout aired during the third hour of SmackDown’s first three-hour episode of this year on the USA Network and saw Giulia capture the title with a devastating top-rope double underhook suplex followed by a Northern Lights Bomb. The Buffalo crowd was electric, and so was the fallout.

With Chelsea now off the throne, all eyes are on Giulia to see what kind of reign she’ll deliver — and whether Green’s grit and honesty will power a comeback story.

Are you Team Chelsea or Team Giulia? Should WWE run it back with a rematch? Sound off in the comments — we want to hear your take!

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