2 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (May 16)

3. Guess How The Contract Signing Ended...

SmackDown Women's Contract Signing
WWE.com

There's nothing more predictable than an in-ring contract signing. These things never go to plan, and invariable result in one party attacking the other following a particularly prickly line of trash talk, and as soon as such segments are announced, you know exactly how it's going to end. Last night's example with the SmackDown women's division was no different, unfortunately.

James Ellsworth was the catalyst for the breakdown. Seemingly doomed to an eternity of playing Carmella's valet, he interrupted Charlotte, then ran through the babyface side, drawing a shove from Naomi. Carmella slammed her into the table, and Shane McMahon booked an immediate non-title match, which at least prevented things from descending into complete and utter chaos.

Contract signings are just a chore to get through, and they're completely pointless. Making a huge song and dance about something that could have been done backstage, without incident, makes no sense from a kayfabe standpoint, and the writing here wasn't even strong enough to carry the segment. It would have been a lot more acceptable had one of the women cut a great promo before the breakdown, but that didn't happen, and they were forced to work with a cheesy, uninteresting script that only compounded the tedium.

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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.