10 Things We Learned From The Post-Backlash WWE SmackDown (May 23)

3. High Five

Shinsuke Nakamura Kevin Owens
WWE.com

More multi-person solutions in the women's division then, as a five way match was arranged for next week's broadcast to determine a new number one contender for Naomi's title.

Praise has rightfully been heaped on the blue brand's overall presentation of the female league in recent months, with a strong WrestleMania build and proactive use of their new arrivals in the 'Superstar Shake-up' a fortnight later.

However, a new issue is quietly emerging as the organisation as a whole seems to lack ideas for taking individual programmes forward between the babyface superstars and their heel 'Welcoming Committee' insurgents.

After yet more parity booking separated the heroes and villains between Backlash and this week's Smackdown Live!, all of the contenders bickered enough to pester Shane McMahon into announcing the contest to lead up to a Money In The Bank clash against the champion.

It was a hark back to the dark days of the WWE 'Divas' being little more than a chirping annoyance to authority figures and audiences alike, but the the saving grace should at least be a semi-decent match and a solid foundation for the new number one contender. It also established that at least all five are relatively over, which contrasts the abject silence most Raw women's matches are currently playing to.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett