During last week’s episode of SmackDown, an unfortunate moment occurred during the main event when referee Daphanie LaShaunn didn’t count to three despite Nia Jax failing to get her shoulder up. This was incredibly obvious, and WWE would later edit the mistake out of the version uploaded to YouTube. And now, following a great deal of backlash online, LaShaunn has taken to Instagram to say, “I’m just human, but I can promise that I strive to always be better.”
LaShaunn, whose real name is Aja Smith, began her wrestling journey in 2013 as an in-ring competitor, sharing the squared circle with emerging talents such as Jordynne Grace, Shotzi, Priscilla Kelly, and Chelsea Green. Still, while her contemporaries joined WWE as wrestlers, LaShaunn would be hired as a referee and eventually became the first Black female referee to officiate a match at WrestleMania. Additionally, she etched her name in WWE title history by briefly capturing the WWE 24/7 Championship after pinning Nikki Cross during a house show.
