4 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (28 Aug - Results & Review)
Ups...
4. Tidy Enough Debut For Tatum
Onto the good that SmackDown had to offer, but we're taking the gentle approach to positivity for this opening entry.
No, this wasn't the best match you'll ever see between Tatum Paxley and Michin, but it was an improvement on the women’s tag match and Paige vs. Jacy Jayne if nothing else. Plus, Tatum’s Cemetery Drive finish looked great here. Like, honestly, that's a total winner of a finishing move. It has a nice swing to it, and there's a meaty thump for the landing.
Personally, this guy isn't sure exactly how much juice Paxley’s union with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss has, but it’s a good featured spot for the NXT newbie. So, choosing to look on the bright side here. Tatum will learn lots if she's put in house show 6-woman tags alongside her onscreen pals, and it's clear that Michin's job was to guide her through this debut performance as best she could. In that respect, Jade Cargill's minion did well.
Side note: WWE top brass needs to have a word with some of the women about how low impact some of their strikes and moves look nowadays. That didn’t wreck this match by any means (again, the finish in particular looked sweet), but it's just a general observation. A few of the strikes in these matches outright failed to connect, because workers were far too busy focusing on the next thing they're about to do. Slow it down a bit, please.
Minor grumbles aside, Paxley vs. Michin was the best women's division match on the show.