13 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (July 23)

1. Trope City

Ember Moon Charlotte Flair
WWE.com

Amongst WWE's most tedious tropes is the "distraction leading to roll-up finish," and that's what we got when Ember Moon met Charlotte Flair last night, with 'The Shenom' besting SmackDown's ace in little over 30 seconds.

It came when Bayley arrived almost as soon as the match had begun. The beloved and benevolent babyface champion took apparent glee in distracting Flair, with Ember "stealing one" for the 1-2-3, taking a W that will look nice on her résumé but, as is always the case in situations like this, matter little in the long-run.

That this tiny infraction was the show's biggest Down says a lot, and it's not worth screaming into the void about finishes like this again. On top of this, the bout was saved by an awesome post-match angle. We'll get to that in a bit...

Advertisement
Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.