8 Ups & 1 Down From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (July 17)
Ups...
8. Back In Contention
Becky Lynch's weekly battles with a gravy train of lower-tier performers are becoming repetitive. Every Tuesday, 'The Lass Kicker' is made to face a Billie Kay or Mandy Rose (as was the case last night), who'll provide some resistance, before inevitably falling in under four minutes, extending Lynch's streak. It's great to see her winning, but the law of diminishing returns has come into play.
Fortunately, this should be the last of them. Becky forced 'God's Greatest Creation' to tap out in 3:30, grabbed the microphone, and announced she was coming for Carmella and the SmackDown Women's Championship. We then cut backstage, where Paige booked Lynch and her new target in a non-title bout next week, and if Becky wins, she's getting the shot.
Here's hoping this is a long-term re-elevation for Becky rather than a false dawn. She's too good and too popular to be languishing, and while her defeating 'Mella wouldn't make up for Asuka's decimation, it'd be a nice sweetener for this broken division.