6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Dec 15 - Results & Review)
2. No Continuation Of Bayley’s Strife?
Apparently, Charlotte Flair was going to play a bigger part in the ongoing Damage CTRL split story than some might've imagined. Her injury and sudden absence is the only reasonable explanation for why CTRL were cast as a (re)united force on this week's episode. What happened to all the tension?!
Their promo was straightforward and had two distinct goals: Hammer home Bayley's quest to win the women's Rumble and challenge Rhea Ripley (to take fans off the scent of a match vs. IYO SKY) and the team of Asuka and Kairi Sane vying to win the Women's Tag-Team Titles.
It was jarring to see CTRL back on the same page after months of teasing in-fighting and tension. Bayley even helped Asuka and Sane win a tag bout later on in the show, so it looks like WWE fancies hitting pause on the split for now.
That's pretty difficult considering the past 2-3 months of TV. It's fine to hit pause, but you can't outright ignore the discord completely.