6 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (10 April - Results & Review)
Downs...
5. One Seriously Lacklustre Open
This week's action was generally a step in the right direction for the Women's Title scene, but that doesn't mean absolutely everything was on point. To open, WWE had Rhea Ripley come out and demand Jade Cargill's head for attacking her pal IYO SKY on Raw. Then, IYO came out to set up that evening's main event. This should've been simple, but...nothing has been simple or straightforward in this story thus far.
Something felt off here, and it wasn’t all down to IYO’s promo either. Her selling en route to the ring was far too spotty and half-baked to really matter. Listen, if you're going to sell a vicious heel faction beatdown, then at least do it properly. Unfortunately, WWE's roster must get their little mannerisms in during entrances no matter what. This would be like Batista taking a kicking from Evolution then still doing his machine gun thing when he's coming out for a promo.
Actually, that probably happened at one point! Even so, it's annoying.
The whole segment was clunky and unconvincing. Honestly, dunno how we got here from Rhea and IYO as a super-over tag-team. They were killing it in that role and looked destined to give those Women's Tag belts their own "WrestleMania moment". Instead, SKY is a peripheral pawn in Ripley's sagging feud with Jade. Oh well, at least what happened bell to bell during the main event itself was worth paying attention to, because this opening promo sure wasn't.
The struggle rolls on for 'Mami', it seems.