6 Ups And 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Feb 14)

Downs...

2. The Tag Division Is Struggling

American Alpha The Ascension
WWE.com

SmackDown has done an excellent job with its women's division since the Brand Split. From top to bottom, everyone has a purpose, everyone has a story, and aside from the MIA Eva Marie, everyone benefits from regular screen time every single week. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the brand's other specialist division at the moment.

American Alpha are an excellent tag team, but their division is dead at the moment. Teams are bundled together instead of featuring in individual programs, the competition is thin, and even the champions themselves are failing to make a connection with the audience. Last night saw Jason Jordan & Chad Gable wrestle The Ascension, and while the match itself was technically fine, the heat was non-existent.

Konor & Viktor legitimately haven't won a tag team match since September 2015, but they're all SmackDown has at the moment. Nobody in the building gave The Ascension the slightest hope of winning, so there was no reason to get invested in the action. The match was a perfect encapsulation of SmackDown's failings with tag teams, and we can only hope that the forthcoming American Alpha vs. Usos feud breathes life into the ailing division.

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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.