Maxxine Dupri Wasn’t Originally Booked to Win WWE Women’s Intercontinental Title

Maxxine Dupri wasn’t originally supposed to win the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship at Madison Square Garden—at least according to Natalya.

In a new January 26, 2026 video on Bayley’s Loadstone YouTube channel, Natalya sat down with Dupri and revealed that her win over Becky Lynch back in November 2025 wasn’t part of the original creative direction, but things changed after Dupri’s solid performance against Lynch in their first match.

“When you went out for that first match against Becky and you f****** killed it, I’m sure you were nervous, but you went out there with confidence because you had done the work. You knew exactly what you needed to do. You knew you were ready. And it was that moment that kind of changed everything, because I had heard where the storyline was going, and that wasn’t in the cards.”

Natalya didn’t elaborate on how or why plans shifted, but she made it very clear that Dupri earned her success by being prepared and showing up when it mattered most.

“This is an inspiring story, just so you guys know, that things can change—and they can change in your favor—when you stay the f*** ready, stay positive, and now Sydney’s got what Rhea was saying earlier, which is momentum.”

Back on November 17, 2025, fans were shocked when Dupri pinned Lynch in the middle of the ring after a surprise distraction from AJ Lee. The match was intense from start to finish, but few expected Dupri to walk out with the title. Until now, no one knew that finish wasn’t even supposed to happen.

Since then, the story has taken more twists—especially on January 19, 2026, in Belfast, when Becky Lynch regained the title with help from Natalya, who turned on Dupri and beat her down in the ring.

Now that Natalya has revealed this behind-the-scenes detail, the betrayal carries a different weight—one rooted in unfinished business and creative changes that were never meant to be part of the original script.

What do you think about Natalya’s reveal? Should Maxxine Dupri have won the title in the first place? Let us know in the comments.

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