4 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (24 July - Results & Review)
3. Short But Fun Qualifier!
You might be stunned to see this in the 'Ups' section, but it richly deserves to be here.
Chelsea Green vs. Kiana James was approx 3-4 minutes, but they packed a fair bit into that short time. You've got to feel a little for James, because she’s completely lost in the shuffle post-Giulia split, but Chelsea qualifying for the ladder match at SummerSlam does seem like the right call. Also short matches aren’t necessarily bad, and this one was probably just what it needed to be. Having Green in the ladder mix as the ultimate underdog works.
Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett put Kiana over as someone who could well be a major player in the women's scene for years to come. No, her recent booking doesn't reflect that whatsoever, but they're probably right. James has improved hugely since debuting. Also, as wishy washy as the union with Giulia was, it did give her plenty of promo time and let Kiana bed in on the main roster.
Remember how strong she looked heading into events at Elimination Chamber? Rekindling that form isn't impossible. James has good facial expressions, moves well in the ring, knows how to get heat, and she's clearly a team player who wants to improve. There's no shame in putting over a popular star like Chelsea anyway.
This was perhaps better than a 4-minute women's division match on weekly TV deserved to be, and that speaks to the energy both workers brought to the party. Keep talking James up, announcers. That'll help.