10 Ways SmackDown Live! Can Recover Before 2018

6. Cash Back

Aiden English Sami Zayn Kevin Owens
WWE.com

With one Money In The Bank briefcase flushed away thanks to the notoriously fleeting impulses of Vince McMahon, only Carmella now remains on SmackDown Live! with a ostensibly golden ticket, and as her character becomes the most entertaining in the division, now more than ever seems the right time to have her cash in.

That Natalya has managed to hold on to the title a fortnight after SummerSlam is a minor miracle in itself. It may be that Baron's bungled effort has put the company off unleashing an identical device so soon after the last one, but the Hart Dungeon graduate still looks like the chosen one to give the ever-improving 'Princess Of Staten Island' the best possible feud for a new champion.

Alongside James Ellsworth, Enzo and Cass' former valet has become one of the best all-rounders on the show. Her technical abilities don't always match up to some of her contemporaries, but that isn't (nor should it be) a barrier for her impending success.

She's literally and figuratively found her voice on the blue brand quicker than the superior Charlotte Flair has done as a babyface, and a first run feud between the two over the SmackDown Live! Women's Title could even be the ideal kick off to her reign.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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